A group for Christians from around the world to explore their faith and discover God in one light. All are welcome, even if your not a Christian, but please respect our belief. http://forums.delphiforums.com/jesusplace/start

World Leaders Mark International Holocaust Remembrance DayNetanyahu on Holocaust Remembrance Day: “We Are No Longer a Powerless People Begging for Protection”By Abra Forman January 27, 2016 , 11:30 am“He hath remembered His covenant for ever, the word which He commanded to a thousand generations.” (Psalm 105:8)World leaders and communities throughout the globe will mark International Holocaust Remembrance Day on Wednesday, January 27, with ceremonies, memorials, and events intended to honor victims of the Holocaust and World War II.While Israel remembers the Holocaust on the Hebrew date of the 27th of Nisan, which usually falls out in May, it is commemorated internationally on the anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi death camp Auschwitz, which occurred 71 years ago in 1945.READ MORE http://www.breakingisraelnews.com/59963/world-leaders-mark-international-holocaust-remembrance-day-jewish-world/#lGEjTp8jELIjxsFI.99

Netanyahu to UN: "You Are Encouraging Terror"“Overbearing speech becometh not a churl; much less do lying lips a prince.” (Proverbs 17:7)By Michael Bachner January 27, 2016 , 12:00 pmUN General Secretary Ban Ki-moon (R) meets with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at the United Nations headquarters in New York, USA. Abbas will adress UN general assembly later today, September 30, 2015. (Photo: Amir Levy/FLASH90)UN General Secretary Ban Ki-moon (R) meets with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at the United Nations headquarters in New York, USA. Abbas will adress UN general assembly later today, September 30, 2015. (Photo: Amir Levy/FLASH90)Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said UN Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon was “encouraging terror” in response to harsh remarks made by Ban that “it is human nature to react to occupation.” Ban made the statement one day after Palestinian terrorists murdered a 24-year-old Israeli woman in a stabbing attack in Beit Horon near Jerusalem.Ban Ki Moon spoke about the current situation in the Middle East at the UN Security Council on the evening of Wednesday, January 26. He said that the year 2016 has started with “unacceptable levels of violence” in the Middle East and placed the blame primarily on Israel.“Palestinian frustration is growing under the weight of a half century of occupation and the paralysis of the peace process,” said Ban in his speech. “As oppressed peoples have demonstrated throughout the ages, it is human nature to react to occupation, which often serves as a potent incubator of hate and extremism.”READ MOREhttp://www.breakingisraelnews.com/59962/netanyahu-accuses-ban-ki-moon-encouraging-palestinian-terrorism-jerusalem/#lg8CIEV0875hxyvv.99

Canada has “Tough Message” for Ally Israel“The righteous is guided by his friend; but the way of the wicked leadeth them astray.” (Proverbs 12:26)By Ahuva Balofsky January 27, 2016 , 8:30 am“The righteous is guided by his friend; but the way of the wicked leadeth them astray.” (Proverbs 12:26)Canada’s recently elected Liberal government had some criticism for Israel, motivated, it said, by the friendship between the two countries. Reuters reported that the statement, made Monday, was meant to clarify Canadian Foreign Minister Stephane Dion’s comments from the day before in which he had deemed both unilateral Palestinian moves on the international stage and Israeli settlement activity “unhelpful”.“We’re steadfast allies and good friends, and good friends can occasionally deliver tough messages, but it’s by no means to suggest that we’re somehow retreating from any kind of support of Israel,” said Joe Pickerill, Dion’s spokesman.READ MORE http://www.breakingisraelnews.com/59926/canada-tough-message-israel-jerusalem/#5lpW7YYCPwygXoV7.99

IDF Warns Hamas: Stop Recruiting for Terror or We Will Close Gaza Crossings“Let them be ashamed and brought to confusion that seek after my soul; let them be turned back and be abashed that devise my hurt.” (Psalms 35:4)If Hamas does not cease recruiting Gazan citizens with travel permits for terror, Israel will close all crossings out of Gaza, IDF Maj.-Gen. Yoav Mordechai warned in an interview with a Palestinian newspaper.The terror organization which runs the Gaza Strip has been attempting to coerce Gaza residents with Israeli entry permits into smuggling and committing terror acts against Israel, said Mordechai, who acts as the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT).READ MORE http://www.breakingisraelnews.com/59910/idf-warns-hamas-stop-recruiting-for-terror-or-we-will-close-gaza-crossings-idf/#TmLdjzLJ6ho4870Q.99

Compromise on Hebron Buildings Expected Amid Coalition BrawlBy JNI Media January 24, 2016 , 1:30 pm“Then came all the tribes of Israel to David unto Hebron, and spoke, saying: ‘Behold, we are thy bone and thy flesh.” (2 Samuel 5:1)Hebron Cave of the PatriatchsCave of the Patriarchs in Hebron (Photo: Wiki Commons/ Travail)A compromise is emerging in the crisis over two buildings in Hebron whose legal owners entered them on Thursday only to be removed on Friday by IDF and police forces. According to settlers who spoke to Israel Radio, the defense ministry will allow habitation of one of the buildings in the near future after the vetting of purchase and ownership is complete. Apparently, one of the conditions posed by the security apparatus has been to change the main entrances to the buildings so they would face the Jewish Avraham Avinu neighborhood, rather than the Arab neighborhood across the street. The fate of the second building will be discussed at a later date.READ MOREhttp://www.breakingisraelnews.com/59659/compromise-hebron-buildings-expected-amid-coalition-brawl-judea-and-samaria/#wgwAheJpubmtrYbG.99

Influx of Mideast Migrants Brings Fear of Renewed Anti-Semitism to GermanyBy JNS January 24, 2016 , 9:30 am“Behold, my terror shall not make thee afraid, neither shall my pressure be heavy upon thee.” (Job 33:7)By: Sean SavageWhile Germany takes pride in confronting its Holocaust past and maintaining a strong relationship with Israel, the European nation’s recent influx of more than a million Middle East migrants—many originating in countries like Syria and Iraq, which have deeply rooted anti-Israel and anti-Semitic cultures—has generated fear among German Jews that the refugees will undermine their safety.In October, an official German state intelligence document leaked to the German weekly newspaper Welt am Sonntag warned that the mass migration could conflict with modern German values and lead to “instability in our land.”“We are importing Islamic extremism, Arab anti-Semitism, national and ethnic conflicts of other peoples as well as a different societal and legal understanding,” the document said.READ MOREhttp://www.breakingisraelnews.com/59636/influx-mideast-migrants-brings-fear-renewed-anti-semitism-germany-terror-watch/#cKofTb9XkVMkZvCu.99

Child Abuse: The World Must Stand Up Against the Incitement of Palestinian YouthBy Sherri Mandell January 24, 2016 , 8:00 amWe are heartsick and angry at what is happening in our country. Two days ago Dafna Meir, a mother of six, a nurse, a healer, knifed to death in front of her children—a horrifying act of violence that unfortunately goes mostly unnoticed in the larger world. And yesterday Michal Froman, a young pregnant mother of four knifed while she was working at a used clothing store in Tekoa. We live in Tekoa. Our son Koby was 13 when he was murdered here with his friend Yosef Ish Ran in 2001. The two boys cut school and were beaten to death with rocks in a cave in the canyon near our home.We hoped that terror had stopped. But Arab murderers are still being incited to hunt the young and the defenseless, children like Koby and Yosef, women like Dafna Meir who are unarmed. Women who are taking care of children or are pregnant. The Palestinians are being incited to kill those who are most vulnerable.READ MORE http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/child-abuse-the-world-must-stand-up-against-the-incitement-of-palestinian-youth/#ZE4LtYiglbwRUiDt.99

Newly discovered testimony provides brutal new details about Nazi medical experiments on concentration camp prisoners, including reportedly locking one man inside a glass cage with thousands of mosquitoes in order to infect him with malaria.

An archivist recently stumbled upon an undated, three-page deposition submitted by a Jewish survivor of several concentration camps while cataloging Jewish Agency files at the Central Zionist Archive, Haaretz reported Monday.

The deposition, believed to have been recorded in the early postwar period, is the testimony of Heinz Reimer, a Jewish survivor of Dachau, Mauthausen and other camps. Reimer tells of undergoing Nazi hypothermia experiments at Dachau in which he and other prisoners were on multiple occasions immersed in ice water and then in boiling water.

His testimony is part of an application Reimer submitted requesting financial assistance from the Jewish Agency.

Reimer reported that along with other tortures he endured in the camps, he was purposely infected with various diseases by Nazi doctors in order to test cures for them.

While part of the testimony has been published, Patrick Casiano, the archivist at the Central Zionist Archive who discovered the document, told Haaretz it was the first time that the full three-page testimony has been available to historians.

In his testimony, Reimer names several Nazi doctors who experimented on him and told of being infected with malaria and syphilis so the doctors could then test various cures on him.

Rather than infecting him with an injection, the doctors, Reimer testified according to Haaretz, “locked me up every day for two hours in a glass cage and I had to endure thousands of Anopheles mosquitoes on my body.”

“Once I could no longer stand the pain I made an attempt of resistance against the mosquitoes while I assumed that this would not be seen. But the doctor, if you want to call this beast like this, saw my attempt of resistance in the mirror. For this I received seven days of strict detention. But before I was led away to the detention, I received 25 lashes with a leather bullwhip.”

Further details about Reimer’s life after filing the testimony were not immediately available, according to Haaretz.

Ban condemned the presence of Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria, and specifically news that Israel plans to declare an area near Jericho as state land.

"Progress towards peace requires a freeze of Israel's settlement enterprise," Ban told a Security Council meeting on the Middle East.

"These provocative acts are bound to increase the growth of settler populations, further heighten tension and undermine any prospects for a political road ahead," said Ban.

"The parties must act - and act now - to prevent the two-state solution from slipping away forever," Ban continued.

In contrast, the UN chief appeared to excuse Palestinian terror attacks - on the same day as an Israeli woman died of injuries she sustained in a brutal stabbing attack yesterday.

"Palestinian frustration is growing under the weight of a half century of occupation and the paralysis of the peace process," he said, blaming "the occupation" for causing "hatred and extremism."

"As oppressed peoples have demonstrated throughout the ages, it is human nature to react to occupation, which often serves as a potent incubator of hate and extremism."

Israel's UN delegation is to refute Ban's statement, which follows a harsh indictment of the UN Security Council by Israeli Ambassador Danny Danon, who noted that the UNSC has failed to condemn a single terror attack against Israelis in the past four months of Palestinian attacks.

Kerry: Iran Sanctions Relief a Boost to TerroristsBy JNI Media January 24, 2016 , 8:30 am“Thou shalt not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the arrow that flieth by day.” (Psalms 91:5)US Secretary of State John Kerry shakes hands with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah on July 23, 2014, before the two sat down for a discussion about a cease-fire in fighting between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip. (Photo: US State Department)Secretary of State John Kerry said on Thursday that he expects some of the billions of dollars in sanctions relief going to Iran under the nuclear deal will benefit terrorist groups. Kerry was speaking to reporters at the World Economic Forum in Davos in the Swiss Alps. He said there’s very little the US or anyone else can do to stop the unfrozen assets from getting into the hands of the Iran Revolutionary Guard Corps or “other entities” which Iran has supported in the past [e.g. Hezbollah, Hamas].At the same time, Kerry noted that since the sanctions have been lifted on Iran last weekend, he has seen no evidence yet to suggest transfers to such rogue groups had taken place.READ MORE http://www.breakingisraelnews.com/59631/kerry-iran-sanctions-relief-boost-terrorists-middle-east/#jfJWLmMCMp1aqZpy.99

IDF Officials: Hamas is Ready for New War With Israel“Proclaim ye this among the nations, prepare war; stir up the mighty men; let all the men of war draw near, let them come up.” (Joel 4:9)Hamas has licked its wounds and is ready for a new armed conflict with Israel, said a senior defense official on Friday. Eighteen months after Operation Protective Edge, in which the IDF took out many of Hamas’s weapons arsenals and destroyed a number of its tunnels, the terror group which runs the Gaza Strip is back on its feet, said the official.

“Hamas in Gaza has recovered, and [its military wing] is ready to confront Israel again if it is asked to do so,” the official told leaders of local Gaza border communities, according to Ynet. “They have restored their tunnels, rocket firing systems, intelligence gathering operations and observation posts.”According to various reports, Hamas has rebuilt its complex system of terror tunnels, several of which reach below the border into Israel. The IDF destroyed approximately 30 tunnels, estimated to constitute one-third of the network, during Operation Protective Edge, when militants would use them to ambush IDF forces and civilians.READ MOREhttp://www.breakingisraelnews.com/59653/idf-officials-hamas-is-ready-for-new-war-with-israel-idf/#j82SJcl7JqYuJV3E.99

The Obama Administration’s Most Covert WarBy Caroline GlickOver the past several weeks, we have learned that the Obama administration believes it is at war with Israel. The war is not a shooting war, but a political war. Its goal is to bring the government to its knees to the point where Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu loses power or begs Obama and his advisers to shepherd Israel through a “peace process” in which Israel will renounce its rights to Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria.One component of this war is espionage. Last month The Wall Street Journal reported that Israel is a top target for American espionage. The other component of the administration’s war against Israel is political subversion. Over the past week, the administration has campaigned against the NGO bill sponsored by Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked. If the bill, which was approved by the government, becomes law, it will require political NGOs that are principally financed by foreign governments to identify as foreign agents in their official communications and interactions.READ MORE http://carolineglick.com/the-obama-administrations-most-covert-war/#kaKqXglgAHBBoRXO.99

Why We’re Where We AreBy Jim FletcherWhere Israel and Bible prophecy are concerned, almost all the top evangelical leadership today opposes them.Usually, “Israel Watch” is devoted to topics that directly relate to the Jewish state, of course. But one of my hobbies is engaging in what David Horowitz calls “discover the networks,” which enables one to get the bigger picture. In other words, I am almost obsessed with learning why things are the way they are.In this case, what are the human agents of change that cause Israel to be a pariah on the international stage? We know the real backstory: the Bible predicts it. But because we have been given a front-row seat to the conclusion of history, I like to know how we got here.In the heyday of dispensationalism (I grew up in the Southern Baptist Church, in the Midwest), fervor for Israel was everywhere. It grew from our reading of the Bible, although I wonder how many people actually loved/liked Jews, and how much of our Israel focus was because “that’s how you get to the end.” There was some good teaching and then some teaching that wasn’t so great. Personally, we were taught almost nothing about Jewish roots, the Holocaust, or even clear, concise information about Israel’s role in history.Having said that, I like to think that our churches then were light years ahead of mainline churches, in understanding the specialness of the Jewish people. Liberalism had infected our seminaries for generations (even within the SBC), and the liberal institutions were busy reimagining Scripture so that it was all about the Church.

In Response toTerror Wave, EU Donates 9.5 Billion Euros to Palestinians; No Support for IsraelisBy Jonathan Benedek January 22, 2016 , 9:30 am“And David went out to meet them, and answered and said unto them: ‘If ye be come peaceably unto me to help me, my heart shall be knit unto you; but if ye be come to betray me to mine adversaries, seeing there is no wrong in my hands, the God of our fathers look thereon, and give judgment.'” (1 Chronicles 12:18)

In an agreement reached yesterday between the European Union (EU) and the Palestinian Ministry of Local Government, the EU agreed to provide approximately two million euros in grants towards social infrastructure projects in Area C. The region referred to as Area C is comprised of sections of Judea and Samaria that are still under full Israeli control.

“The European Union is committed to continuing its work in Area C on two fronts—humanitarian assistance and development,” explained EU Representative Ralph Tarraf.

“The EU provides humanitarian assistance to Area C communities in need in accordance with the humanitarian imperative,” continued Tarraf. “The EU is also working with the Palestinian Authority to develop Area C and to support Palestinians living there.”

Although Tarraf stressed the EU’s commitment towards providing both humanitarian and developmental assistance to Palestinians, the EU assistance package totaling 9.5 million euros is primarily geared towards “master plans” of developmental assistance rather than humanitarian assistance to Palestinian communities in Area C.

“The ‘master plans’ are more of a developmental approach on how to develop the communities, such as providing water networks to the people living there,” EU Palestinian Delegation’s Communication Officer, Shadi Othman told Tazpit Press Service (TPS).

The “master plans” have been developed in coordination with the EU and with Palestinian localities.

“They don’t have a zoning plan for the community so the EU works with the communities and with other donors and organizations to develop these ‘master plans’ in the first phase and to be sure that they are in line with all the requirements. It then submits them to the Israelis,” elaborated Othman to TPS.

The first package of EU assistance will provide funding for 15 social infrastructure projects in nine Palestinian communities thus supporting approximately 3,000 Palestinians. The social infrastructure projects include financial assistance for kindergartens, water networks, roads, playgrounds, and additional classrooms.

Othman told TPS that despite the absence of Israeli opposition to the development of “master plans,” Israel still requires that such plans be submitted for approval.

“The Israeli government has said that it does not oppose Palestinian development in Area C in principle, but it still asked for ‘master plans’ to be submitted,” he said.

Othman also explained to TPS that the the structures that have been built from such plans have not been targeted by recent demolitions of illegal Palestinian buildings in Area C.

“So far, the projects that were demolished have to do with humanitarian assistance packages provided by the EU,” Othman noted to TPS. “We’re talking about ten shelters or caravans in some cases that were confiscated. We are in touch with the Israeli government about that and we have an open dialogue about these issues.”

Othman said that these developmental projects in Area C fall in line with the EU’s statement of expectations for both Israel and the Palestinians that was released earlier this week.

“There was a clear call by the EU Council and the 28 EU foreign ministers in their conclusions this past Monday to allow for social and economic development in Area C,” Othman explained to TPS.

This was also expressed by EU Representative Tarraf earlier yesterday. “I would like to reiterate Monday’s Foreign Affairs Council conclusions. EU foreign ministers emphasized that a fundamental change of policy by Israel with regard to the occupied Palestinian territory, particularly in Area C, would significantly increase economic opportunities, empower Palestinian institutions, and enhance stability and security for both Israelis and Palestinians,” Othman said.

Othman told TPS that the request for a “fundamental change of policy” calls upon Israel to allow for many more social infrastructure projects to be developed.

“The EU believes that Israel has the responsibility to facilitate, accelerate, and allow for all forms of development in Area C, whether social or economic,” Othman told TPS. “For the EU, Area C remains part of occupied territory of the West Bank [Judea and Samaria] and without it, there will be no Palestinian state.”

To most Israelis, the seemingly endless discussion over whether or not the brutal California attack was an act of terrorism seems a little absurd. The fact that 14 people were gunned down in cold blood and the area’s entire population was terrorized seems to indicate a clear-cut case of terrorism—regardless of the exact motives of the perpetrators.

Of course, America’s endless debate on gun control is completely incomprehensible to a country where the population has been universally trained to use guns, but where very few people actually own their own weapons (with the exception of those who live in the West Bank).

While the shooting in California has dominated news broadcasts, discussion on the street has concerned matters closer to home. The announcement of the arrests of suspects in the arson murder in Kfar Duma raised some hopes that Israel would be able to come to grips with its self-spawned terror. Unfortunately, we do not seem to be there quite yet.

Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan stated Friday morning that there is still not enough evidence to try the suspects, who are being held in administrative detention pending the government’s ability to bring charges.

Paradoxically, the Association of Civil Rights in Israel, which usually protests the ill treatment of Palestinians, has protested that the Jewish suspects in the Kfar Duma arson have had their rights violated by being held in administrative detention and not being able to see their lawyers. Most Israelis would like to see the suspects brought to trial as soon as possible, and hope that the hideous acts are the work of a very small, fanatical group of people.

Continued fallout from the Turkish downing of the Russian fighter-bomber last week continues to be watched carefully by most Israeli observers of the news. This action has added another layer of instability to the area surrounding Israel.

A direct consequence is the fact that the Russians have deployed their most advanced anti-aircraft system (the S-400) in Syria, something no Israeli planner ever anticipated. Israel has, no doubt, long since developed a strategy for defeating the older S-300 (which the Russians have promised repeatedly to the Iranians), but the S-400 might (and I only say might) present a greater challenge.

In the meantime, it would seem that Israel’s close relationship with Russia and especially with its leader, Vladimir Putin, has been bearing

New Film Presents Revolutionary Theory in Egyptology Proving the ExodusBy Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz January 20, 2016 , 12:30 pm“The LORD said, ‘I have surely seen the affliction of My people who are in Egypt, and have given heed to their cry because of their taskmasters, for I am aware of their sufferings. So I have come down to deliver them from the power of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and spacious land, to a land flowing with milk and honey.’” (Exodus 3:7-8)One man’s spiritual quest has resulted in a fascinating journey through time and history in search of the truth. When confronted with a religious dilemma, Tim Mahoney, a deeply religious man, began what would become a long and painful voyage in search of the truth.Asking questions so many have asked before but have been pushed aside in fear of finding an answer that challenged their faith, Mahoney seeks to answer the ultimate question: Is the Bible, the basis of all Abrahamic religions, true? As fantastic as they sound, could the events that forged the relationship between the Hebrews and God really happen the way they were described in the pages of the Bible? If they did, then where is the proof?READ MOREhttp://www.breakingisraelnews.com/59404/new-film-takes-archaeological-deniers-biblical-exodus-proves-story-accurate-true-biblical-zionism/#vog1HIJLGgSFFHtR.99

The Islamization of France in 2015By Soeren KernThe Muslim population of France reached 6.5 million in 2015, or around 10% of the overall population of 66 million.An estimated 40,000 cars are burned in France every year — a destruction often attributed to rival Muslim gangs. Every day, more than 80 cars are burned.The rector of the Grand Mosque of Paris, Dalil Boubakeur, called for the number of mosques in France to be doubled over the next two years. Boubakeur said that 2,200 mosques are “not enough” for the “seven million Muslims living in France.” He demanded that unused churches be converted into mosques.Prime Minister Manuel Valls revealed in April that more than 1,550 French citizens or residents are involved in terrorist networks in Syria and Iraq.“Can we not talk about subjects that split opinion? If you talk about immigration, you are a xenophobe. If you talk about security, you are a fascist. If you talk about Islam, you are an Islamophobe.” – Henri Guaino, MP.“Those who denounce the illegal behavior of fundamentalists are more likely to be sued than the fundamentalists who behave illegally.” – Marine Le Pen, leader of the National Front party.The Muslim population of France reached 6.5 million in 2015, or around 10% of the overall population of 66 million. In real terms, France has the largest Muslim population in the European Union, just above Germany.image: http://www.breakingisraelnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/BIN-OpEd-Experts-300x2501.pngAlthough French law prohibits the collection of official statistics about the race or religion of its citizens, this estimate is based on several studies that attempted to calculate the number of people in France whose origins are from Muslim-majority countries.READ MOREhttp://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/7256/france-islamization#GZJpxUTwhK3s7I8f.99

Is Donald Trump the Christian Savior Evangelicals Are Waiting For?By Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz January 21, 2016 , 11:30 am“And I will give you shepherds according to My heart, who shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.” (Jeremiah 3:15)Donald Trump quotes from “Two Corinthians” as he speaks to evangelical Liberty University. (Photo: YouTube)Donald Trump has done it again, making bold statements that endear him to his supporters in a style his competition wouldn’t dare mimic. On Monday night, at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia, he told 10,000 students, “Christianity, it’s under siege.” He reassured them, “We’re going to protect Christianity. I don’t have to be politically correct.” He was introduced warmly by Jerry Falwell Sr., the founder of the university, who compared Trump to his own father, Jesus, and the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. READ MORE http://www.breakingisraelnews.com/59462/what-is-the-key-to-trumps-overwhelming-evangelical-support-biblical-zionism/#X3OyiIEUF2iy5RUE.99

http://honestreporting.com/idns-01192016-dafna-meir/Teen Arrested For Dafna Meir’s MurderIsrael Daily News Stream5 hours agoToday’s Top Stories1. Israeli security forces arrested the Palestinian who murdered Dafna Meir. Mourad Adais, a 15-year-old boy from a village near Otniel, has reportedly confessed. It’s presumed Adais snuck into the settlement, as he did not work there.

2. According to Israeli media reports, Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz returned from a secret trip to the United Arab Emirates. Steinitz previously served as Prime Minister Netanyahu’s point man on the Iranian nuclear issue, and the speculation is that he talked with leaders in the capital city of Abu Dhabi about issues related to the lifting of international sanctions on Iran.

Coincidentally or otherwise, an energy conference was taking place in Abu Dhabi, with Iranian representation, as Steinitz visited. There was no report of any contact between Steinitz and Iranian officials.Abu Dhabi

3. European Union foreign ministers agreed on a statement on the Israel-Palestinian conflict. Key takeaway: Agreements with Israel end at the Green Line and specifically do not include settlements. The criticism dog-piled from there . . .

4. Why Was Dafna Meir Ignored By the International Media? On the wrong side of an ideological divide, news services overlooked Dafna Meir.

5. New York Times: Palestinian Attacks “Exchanges of Violence”: The New York Times corrects a headline fail after being contacted by HonestReporting.

Israel and the Palestinians• The International Committee for the Red Cross wrapped up an internal investigation which concluded that a Palestinian Red Crescent ambulance did not refuse to treat two Israeli terror victims in November. Jerusalem Post coverage.

Mohammed, a 55-year-old teacher in Gaza, was even more withering. “When you listen to a Palestinian leader now, you think he is in a coma. You don’t hear something that is relevant to our suffering.”• Hebron has become ‘terror central’

• India’s foreign minister is in Israel for a three-day visit. The Jerusalem Post calls it “a precursor to an expected visit by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.”

Around the World• Ahead of the upcoming Martin Luther King Day, the Times of Israel examines the tug of war over the civil rights leader’s views on Israel, and why they matter today. See also Israeli envoy Yehuda Yaakov’s related op-ed in the Boston Herald.

International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) chief executive officer Judit Farago had insisted Israel must allowed to compete or Malaysia could be banned from hosting future tournaments.

She also said the World Championships would be scrapped and Malaysia to foot the cancellation costs if the visas were not issued.

That has been averted with Israel withdrawing from the tournament.• Israel-focused Jewish group kicked out of major LGBTQ conference in Chicago following pressure from anti-Israel activists, Haaretz reports. It’s the stupid “pinkwashing” argument all over again . . .

Commentary/AnalysisCalifornia seal• California Assemblyman Travis Allen weighs in at The Hill on why he wants the Golden State to proactively take on the BDS movement.

Israel is one of our key bilateral trading partners in important sectors such as technology, defense, and health sciences. In fact, California’s exports to Israel totaled more than $2.3 billion in 2014. Most recently, Israeli water technology experts have helped Californians navigate through one of the worst droughts in the state’s history. Further, Israel is currently the 25th largest trading partner with the United States with $36 billion in total trade during 2013. Any effort to inflict economic harm upon Israel weakens the ability California and the United States to conduct business, and blatantly undermines the vital economic and employment interests of our nation.

Prime Minister Netanyahu: “We Will Not Allow Iran To Have Nuclear Weapons”“As birds hovering, so will the LORD of hosts protect Jerusalem; He will deliver it as He protecteth it, He will rescue it as He passeth over.” (Isaiah 31:5)After the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) stated on Saturday that Iran has made all the necessary steps to fully implement the international nuclear agreement with the P5 +1 countries, both the US and EU removed previously imposed sanctions on Iran.During a meeting with his cabinet earlier this morning, Prime Minister Netanyahu made it clear that Israel would still continue to closely monitor Iran’s activities.“Pursuant to the nuclear agreement with Iran, Israel will continue to monitor all international violations by Iran including the nuclear deal, the agreement on ballistic missiles and terrorism,” said Israel’s Prime Minister.“Israel’s policy was and continues to remain exactly as it was, not to allow Iran to acquire nuclear weapons,” added Netanyahu.The Israeli prime minister also spoke of the need for the international community to reenact sanctions against Iran in light of any action by Iran that violates the international agreement on its nuclear enrichment program.Read more at http://www.breakingisraelnews.com/59198/prime-minister-netanyahu-we-will-not-allow-iran-have-nuclear-weapons-jerusalem/#vQ3LTPgboK6bKKvY.99

Mass Arrests, Calls to Impose Israeli Sovereignty Following MurderBy JNI Media January 19, 2016 , 9:30 am“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for Thou art with me.” (Psalms 23:4)image: http://www.breakingisraelnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/idf-soldier-otniel.jpgIsraeli security near the Israeli settlement of Otniel, South Hebron Hills region where a Jewish woman in her 30's was killed in a stabbing attack in her home on January 17, 2016. Israeli security forces are searching the area for the terrorist. January 17, 2016. (Photo: Yonatan Sindel/FLASH90)Israeli security near the Israeli settlement of Otniel, South Hebron Hills region where a Jewish woman in her 30’s was killed in a stabbing attack in her home on January 17, 2016. Israeli security forces are searching the area for the terrorist. January 17, 2016. (Photo: Yonatan Sindel/FLASH90)A senior military source told Israel Radio that following the Otniel Terrorist attack Sunday, where 38-year-old Jewish mother Dafna Meir was stabbed to death in her home in front of her children, the security apparatus may have to reexamine the entry of Arab workers into Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria. The source said that even if the murder Sunday night was carried out by a single attacker, there would be copycat attempts elsewhere, and security forces must offer an effective response to that possibility.Meanwhile, the manhunt for the Otniel killer continued through the night in the south Mt. Hebron area. Overnight IDF and Border Guard soldiers arrested 27 wanted terrorists, 24 of whom are suspected of carrying out terror acts.Dafna’s daughter, Renana, 17, offered police a detailed description of the attacker.Read more at http://www.breakingisraelnews.com/59295/mass-arrests-calls-impose-israeli-sovereignty-following-murder-judea-and-samaria/#4o124SFusiUeDbCf.99After Two-Day Manhunt, Palestinian Teenager Arrested for Murdering Dafna Meir in OtnielBy Michael Bachner January 19, 2016 , 10:30 am“And it is like people, like priest; and I will punish him for his ways, and will recompense him his doings.” (Hosea 4:9)(Photo: Yochai Hillel/TPS)The Israeli Security Agency (Shin Bet) announced on Tuesday morning, January 19, that a Palestinian teenager was arrested on suspicion of murdering 39-year old mother of six, Dafna Meir on Sunday.The terrorist had entered the community of Otniel, in southern Judea, through a hole in the fence and went on to murder Dafna Meir in her own home in front of three of her children on Sunday evening, January 17.After two days of intensive investigation by the IDF and the Shin Bet, a 15-year-old resident of Yatta, a Palestinian village located near Otniel, was apprehended and taken in for questioning. Palestinian sources named the suspect as Murad Bader Abdullah Adais.Read more at http://www.breakingisraelnews.com/59311/after-two-day-manhunt-palestinian-teenager-arrested-murdering-dafna-meir-otniel-terror-watch/#YFsw7kw132WfO2vS.99

Israeli Minister Reportedly Holds Secret Meeting in Abu Dhabi Over Iran ThreatBy JNS January 19, 2016 , 1:30 pm“And the LORD said unto Joshua: ‘Be not afraid because of them; for to-morrow at this time will I deliver them up all slain before Israel.” (Joshua 11:6)Minister of Intelligence Yuval Steinitz speaks during the 7th Annual International INSS Conference in Tel Aviv, on January 29, 2014. (Photo: Markowicz/Flash90)Yuval Steinitz—Israel’s minister of national infrastructure, energy and water resources—on Monday returned from a secret visit to Abu Dhabi over the weekend.Israel’s Channel 2 reported that Steinitz, Netanyahu’s point man on the Iran nuclear program, made the visit under “heavy security” to “share concerns” with Arab Gulf leaders and other Sunni Arab states.The secret meeting coincided with an energy conference in Abu Dhabi that also included Iranian officials.In a sign of warming ties between Israel and the Arab Gulf states, Israel in November announced plans to open a diplomatic mission in Abu Dhabi as part of the United Nations International Renewable Energy Agency.Read more at http://www.breakingisraelnews.com/59321/israeli-minister-reportedly-holds-secret-meeting-abu-dhabi-over-iran-threat-middle-east/#ujC2s1rp2jyB97HE.99

Clinton Email Outlined Plan to Spark Arab-Spring Style Protests Against IsraelIn a new batch of released emails from former secretary of state Hillary Clinton, a former US diplomat suggested to Clinton that she push the Palestinians to form Arab Spring-like protests against Israel to push the government to make fresh overtures towards a two-state solution.READ MORE

Obama Will Veto Congressional Bill Threatening Iran Deal“And Joseph made it a statute concerning the land of Egypt unto this day.” (Genesis 47:26)The White House said on Monday that if a current bill forcing more restrictions on Iran is passed through Congress, President Barack Obama will veto it.The bill, called the Iran Terror Finance Transparency Act, or H.R. 3662, would “provide more Congressional oversight over US economic and trade sanctions” with Iran by prohibiting the president from lifting certain sanctions unless specific certifications are provided to Congress.According to the Obama Administration, the bill will prevent the US from meeting the conditions of the Iran nuclear deal, which is due to be implemented in coming days. Under the terms of the deal, if Iran dismantles certain elements of its nuclear program, the US and other world powers will lift heavy sanctions on the country, enabling millions of dollars to flow into Iran’s economy.READ MORE

US Airstrikes Blow Up ISIS Cash StashIn its ongoing effort to rid the world of the threat that is the Islamic State (ISIS), the United States dropped two 2,000 pound bombs on a cash storage facility in the city of Mosul, Iraq on Monday.According to the Associated Press, a US defense official revealed this particular facility housed “millions” of dollars meant as financial support for the terrorist regime. The funding pays for all ongoing ISIS operations, including its militants, deadly weapons, and propaganda.The airstrike consequently destroyed all moneys that were held there.READ MORE

10 US Navy Sailors Set Free by Iran Following Tense StandoffIran set free 10 US Navy sailors Wednesday afternoon after it captured two US Naval ships that had drifted into Iranian waters after experiencing mechanical difficulties on Tuesday evening.The Iranian government quickly accused the sailors – nine men and one woman – of trespassing and held them overnight on an Iranian base on Farsi Island in the Persian Gulf.READ MORE

In Rejection of Genesis 12:3, Methodist Church Votes to Divest from Israeli BanksThe pension fund for the United Methodist Church has blocked five Israeli banks from its investment portfolio, AP reported on Wednesday. The Church said the move is meant to remove companies from its portfolio which “profit from abuse of human rights.”The Israeli banks now excluded from the fund were named on the pension board’s website as Bank Hapoalim, Bank Leumi, First International Bank of Israel, Israel Discount Bank, and Mizrachi Tefahot Bank.The fund sold off the Israeli bank stock, which was worth a few million dollars in a portfolio which has about $20 billion in assets. It also sold off a smaller holding, worth about $5,000, in the Israeli real estate and construction company Shikun & Binui, and blocked the company from its investment portfolio along with the banks.READ MORE

Terror Experts Warn of “European 9/11” in 2016By Abra Forman January 10, 2016 , 8:30 am“Woe to them that devise iniquity and work evil upon their beds! When the morning is light, they execute it, because it is in the power of their hand.” (Micah 2:1)the video released by ISIS showing the beheading of Jewish American journalist Steve Sotloff by Jihadi John.Screenshot of the video released by ISIS showing the beheading of Jewish American journalist Steve Sotloff by Jihadi John.Following November’s horrifying terror attack in France, counterterrorism experts fear that Europe will see large-scale terror attacks with high fatalities in the coming year, similar to America’s 9/11, AFP reported.A counterterrorism official told AFP that compared to what the future might bring, the coordinated November 13 Paris attack which killed 130 was “nothing”.“We are moving towards a European 9/11: simultaneous attacks on the same day in several countries, several places,” he warned. “A very coordinated thing. We know the terrorists are working on this.”The official said that the Islamic State, or ISIS, was currently recruiting and training Europeans with the intention of “sending them back to hit their countries of origin.”READ MOREhttp://www.breakingisraelnews.com/58528/terror-experts-warn-european-911-2016-terror-watch/#RijBWq74P7RQkGWu.99Radical Israeli “Palestinian Rights” Activist Helps Kill Palestinians Who Sell Land to JewsBy Abra Forman January 10, 2016 , 9:30 am“Naomi, that is come back out of the field of Moab, selleth the parcel of land, which was our brother Elimelech’s.” (Ruth 4:3)Ezra Nawi, a Jewish radical left-wing activist who campaigns for Palestinian rights, has been secretly recorded boasting of turning Palestinian real-estate dealers who sell land to Jews over to the PA, which tortures and kills them.Nawi’s radical leftist circle was infiltrated by right-wing activists, who clandestinely recorded Nawi discussing how he takes the names of Palestinians willing to sell land to Jews and gives them to the PA. “Straightaway I give their pictures and phone numbers to the Preventive Security Force,” Nawi said in the recording, after which the PA “catches them and kills them. But before it kills them, they get beat up a lot.”In the Palestinian Authority, anyone convicted of selling land to Jews is subject to capital punishment.According to the Israeli television program “Uvda”, which aired the investigative piece on Thursday, an activist with the left-wing human rights group B’Tzelem set up a sting operation with Nawi to catch and turn in a Palestinian seller who believed he was meeting with a Jew interested in purchasing land.READ MORE http://www.breakingisraelnews.com/58532/radical-israeli-palestinian-rights-activist-helps-kill-palestinians-who-sell-land-jews-jerusalem/#7r0I151tceLSO2yc.99What Could Undo the Islamist Movement? By Daniel PipesThe Islamist movement may appear stronger than ever, but a close look suggests two weaknesses that may doom it, and perhaps quicklyIts strengths are obvious. The Taliban, al-Shabab, Boku Haram and Islamic State all take Islamism — the ideology calling for Islamic law to be applied in its entirety and severity — to unbearable extremes, rampaging and brutalizing their way to power. Pakistan could fall into their hands. The ayatollahs of Iran enjoy a second wind thanks to the Vienna deal. Qatar has the highest per capita income in the world. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is becoming a dictator. Islamist operatives are swarming across the Mediterranean toward Europe.But weaknesses within, especially squabbling and disapproval, could undo the Islamist movementInfighting became vicious in 2013, when Islamists abruptly stopped their prior pattern of cooperation among themselves and instead began internecine fighting. Yes, the Islamist movement as a whole shares similar goals, but it also contains different intellectuals, groups and parties with variant ethnic affiliations, tactics and ideologies.READ MORE http://www.israelhayom.com/site/newsletter_opinion.php?id=14883#09EXSiMPMyZAwfPo.99Obama’s Constitutional Overreach…and IsraelBy Caroline GlickThe Obama administration's contempt for Netanyahu is clear, but extends far beyond to that of the American public and members of Congress as well. It is far from clear why senior Obama administration officials told The Wall Street Journal that under President Barack Obama, the National Security Agency has been aggressively spying not only on Israeli officials but on US citizens and lawmakers who communicate with Israeli officials. Perhaps they were trying to make Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu look like a fool.After all, the article concludes that the NSA intercepts of these communications “revealed one surprise.”“Mr. Netanyahu and some of his allies voiced confidence they could win enough votes” in Congress to scuttle Obama’s nuclear deal with Iran.Ha ha. What dummies.If their goal was simply to show that the White House has more leverage over Democratic lawmakers than the Israeli government does, then the article overshot the mark.Beyond expressing the administration’s contempt for Netanyahu, the Journal’s article showed that Netanyahu isn’t the only one the administration sneers at.It sneers at the American public and at members of Congress as well. And in so doing, it sneers at and deliberately breaks US law and tramples the US Constitution.Under US law, American intelligence gathering agencies, including the NSA, are only permitted to spy on US citizens in order to protect US national security.READ MORE

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4750344,00.htmlAlleged plan to assassinate prime minister thwartedTwo Hamas-linked men from East Jerusalem have been indicted for plans to make explosives and plot to detonate bomb under stage on which Netanyahu spoke.Yael FreidsonPublished: 01.08.16, 14:26 / Israel NewsAn alleged plan by two Hamas-linked young men to assassinate Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a suicide bombing was revealed on Friday when indictments were served against the East Jerusalem residents.MK Haneen Zoabi indictedHazm Sandouka, 22, and Fahdi Abu Kian, 19, were charged with belonging to a terror organization, aiding an enemy during wartime, contact with a foreign agent and other offenses. The Jerusalem District Attorney asked to extend the suspects' remand until the end of the legal proceedings.The accused in court (Photo: Gil Yohanan)According to the indictment, the pair helped Ahmad Azam, a Hamas operative, in preparations for terror attacks using explosives. Azam rented an apartment in the Abu Dis neighborhood, rented tools and began purchasing chemical materials. Sandouka allegedly proposed placing a bomb in an auditorium, underneath the stage on which the prime minister was to deliver a speech. The pair planned the event but did not set a date.

The indictment detailed Hamas's planning. Azam received instructions from a Hamas operative in Gaza, referred to as "Abu Omar" in the indictment. Contact between the two was handled via a program that sends coded messages and cell phones that were destroyed after use. Azam, according to the indictment, recruited the two other defendants at Abu Dis University.

The indictment claimed that when Azam recruited Sandouka, he asked him to commit a stabbing attack on Jews, only for Sandouka to reply that he wanted to commit a bigger attack. Azam purportedly later suggested to Sandouka that he kidnap Jews or act as a driver in a Jerusalem terror attack, to which he agreed.It was ultimately decided, according to the charges, that his role would be purchasing chemical materials from Israel and getting them into the West Bank for use in explosive devices.

http://www.timesofisrael.com/450-of-452-suicide-attacks-in-2015-were-by-muslim-extremists-study-shows/450 of 452 suicide attacks in 2015 were by Muslim extremists, study showsINSS think tank report shows global figure is down on 2014, but up on 2013; more women involved; Europe and Africa getting dragged inBY AVI ISSACHAROFF January 8, 2016, 11:13 amere were fewer suicide attacks worldwide in 2015 than 2014, “only” 452 as compared with 592, according to a new report by an Israeli research team.But drawing conclusions from a mere comparison of the overall figures is “not smart,” cautions Yoram Schweitzer, the head of the Program on Terrorism and Low Intensity Conflict at Tel Aviv University’s Institute for National Security Studies. For one thing, the 2014 figure was strikingly high (2013 saw a markedly lower 382 suicide attacks), so nobody should start feeling encouraged. For another, Schweitzer and his team — project coordinator Daria Schitrit and team members Smadar Shaul and Einav Yogev — employ a sophisticated methodology to keep track of suicide terrorism statistics that goes well beyond simple totals.And so, before we get to the conclusions of his latest report, some methodology and context.As he explained this week to The Times of Israel, “We do not count every claim of a suicide attack. In other words, it’s not enough if Islamic State claims a certain number of suicide attacks. Quite a few groups like to claim that they carried out suicide attacks to make themselves look more important and powerful. We always rely on at least two sources to determine that a suicide attack really did take place. Even then, every determination we make is always qualified because we can never be exact about the percentages, and certainly not in places like Syria.Yoram Schweitzer, an expert on international terrorism, and researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies. (Moshe Shai/Flash90)“Then we come to another issue,” Schweitzer elaborated: “Which terror attacks we define as suicide attacks and which we do not. My own definition includes all terror attacks that were perpetrated by a suicide bomber who carried explosive material on his person or on a mobile platform. They are planted inside or sent to the targets, and their certain deaths define them as suicides. In other words, the definition does not include ‘sacrifice’ attacks of various kinds, or people wielding knives or scissors.”Unlike other researchers, Schweitzer does not believe suicide attacks in the Middle East began in 1983, when Hezbollah operatives attacked the American Embassy and the Marines headquarters in Beirut, but two years earlier — with an attack perpetrated by a suicide terrorist sent, evidently by the Iranians, to the Iraqi Embassy in Lebanon.“Another important point that we need to understand here is that we do not count suicide attacks according to the number of suicide attackers. In other words, we consider the terror attack that took place in Paris two months ago as a single attack, even though there were seven suicide terrorists.”And now for the 2015 conclusions.“Unlike what people usually think, last year was not exceptionally ‘wild’ as regards suicide attacks. There were far fewer attacks than in 2014, although the number of fatalities remained almost the same — 4,370 people killed in 2015 as compared with 4,400 people the year before.”Which means, “to put it another way, the terror attacks are more deadly.”Schweitzer elaborates: “As far as the number of suicide attackers, there were roughly 735 in 2015 as compared with 937 the previous year. As regards the ratio of suicide attackers to terror attacks, there were almost two suicide attackers per terror attack in 2014, and the statistic for 2015 is not too far from that either.”Civilians gather at the scene of a suicide car bombing at a busy market in Khan Bani Saad in the Diyala province, about 20 miles (30 kilometers) northeast of Baghdad, Iraq, July 18, 2015. (AP/Karim Kadim)The Middle East continues to lead the list in the number of terror attacks, just as it did in 2014. But there is a highly significant decrease here: 207 terror attacks in the Middle East in 2015 as opposed to 370 in 2014 — a decline of 44 percent. The decrease in the number of terror attacks is attributed mainly to the dramatic reduction in the number of attacks in Iraq and Afghanistan, which had topped the list in recent years.According to Schweitzer, 115 terror attacks took place in Iraq in 2015 as opposed to 271 in 2014, perhaps because of the relative stability in regions that were formerly part of Iraq (some of them under Islamic State’s domination, others ruled by the Iraqi government, and the third an autonomous Kurdish region).In Afghanistan, 69 terror attacks took place in 2015, as compared with 124 in 2014. The number of terror attacks decreased in Lebanon as well (three in 2015, as compared with 13 in 2014), and in Yemen (13 in 2015, as compared with 29 in 2014, although a particularly deadly terror attack took place there in March, killing 137 people). In 2015, 24 terror attacks by the Pakistani Taliban took place in Pakistan (as opposed to 36 in 2014), and one terror attack took place in Tunisia.Fire and smokes rise at the site of a suicide attack during clashes with Taliban fighters in front of the Parliament, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Monday, June 22, 2015. (AP/Massoud Hossaini)Fire and smokes rise at the site of a suicide attack during clashes with Taliban fighters in front of the Parliament, in Kabul, Afghanistan, June 22, 2015. (AP/Massoud Hossaini)The number of suicide attacks in Syria remained about the same, with 39 in 2015, as compared with 41 in 2014. Egypt experienced an increase, with 12 attacks in 2015, as compared with four in 2014 (most of them in Sinai). The number went up slightly in Libya, from 11 in 2014 to 13 in 2015. Five suicide attacks took place in Saudi Arabia in 2015, compared to only one suicide attack there in 2014.The rising ‘stars’: Africa — and women“The largest increase for the year was in Africa,” Schweitzer says, “with 122 suicide attacks in 2015 as compared with 32 terror attacks in 2014. The responsible party is Wilayat Gharb Ifriqiyya, the Islamic State’s West African group, formerly known as Boko Haram and Ansaru, which joined IS last March. In 2015, 96 suicide attacks took place in Nigeria, 13 in Cameroon, eight in Chad and five in Niger.“The attacks began spreading beyond Nigeria’s borders only in 2015, after Boko Haram and Ansaru affiliated themselves with the Islamic State,” he notes. “These new countries where suicide attacks were carried out had been part of a coalition that worked against Boko Haram. In other words, the attacks had two factors in common. One was Islamic State’s desire to spread, ideologically and physically, throughout the region as much as possible. The other was its desire to hurt those who had attacked it.”People gather at the site of a suicide-bomb attack at Redeem Christian Church in Potiskum, Nigeria, which has been blamed on Boko Haram, July 5, 2015. (AP/Adamu Adamu)He continues, “The second motif that appears to be on the increase is the number of terror attacks carried out by women. This is an important point. In 2015, 66 terror attacks were carried out solely by women, out of a total of 70 terror attacks in which women were involved, as compared with only 13 in 2014. In 2015, 124 women took part in suicide attacks, as compared with 19 in 2014. Almost all of them — 120 out of 124 — were dispatched by Wilayat Gharb Ifriqiyya. So, in fact, the number of women suicide attackers increased in only one region: Africa. The other four female suicide attackers were from Somalia, Afghanistan, Turkey and India. Of the 120 women attackers from Africa, 35 were teenagers and children aged eight to 18.”(It is not clear whether these terror attacks have any connection with the kidnapping of hundreds of teenage girls from the school in the Nigerian town of Chibok in April 2014. The exact number of kidnap victims remains unknown. The suicide attacks perpetrated by women in Africa began two months later.)A police officer stands guard while crime scene investigation officers work after a female suicide bomber blew herself up at a police station in the main tourist district of central Istanbul, Turkey, January 6, 2015. (AFP/Ozan Kose)The new arena that was added to the list of suicide-attack venues in 2015 is central Europe, with the bloodbath two months ago in Paris. Five suicide attacks were carried out in Turkey, too — one by the Kurdish underground; one by a left-wing group; and three by the Islamic State.City agents collect objects from the makeshift memorial in tribute to the victims of the Paris attacks outside the Bataclan concert hall in Paris on December 10, 2015. (AFP / JOEL SAGET)City agents collect objects from the makeshift memorial in tribute to the victims of the Paris attacks outside the Bataclan concert hall in Paris on December 10, 2015. (AFP/Joel Saget)The familiar ‘star’: Islamic State and radical IslamNot surprisingly, the Islamic State continues to play a leading role in Schweitzer’s study this year as well, with 174 of 2015’s 452 suicide attacks attributed to it. The Islamic State took responsibility for 75 of them; 74 are attributed to Islamic State in Iraq and another 25 in Syria (without direct responsibility). This number does not include the terror attacks that were carried out by “the auxiliaries” of IS — including 134 suicide attacks that were carried out by members of Wilayat Gharb Ifriqiyya and Wilayat Sinai. Just for the sake of comparison, al-Nusra Front took responsibility for only four suicide attacks. The participation of al-Qaeda, with its many affiliated groups the world over, in suicide attacks grew weaker this year, continuing a trend that was noticed in 2014.Of course, we cannot avoid mentioning the religious element as the most significant factor that motivates the suicide terrorists throughout the world. Here’s the most dramatic statistic: 450 of 452 suicide terror attacks in 2015 were perpetrated by Muslim extremists. One of the remaining two attacks was carried out by the Kurdish underground. The other was perpetrated by a woman supporter of a leftist group in Turkey.No suicide attacks were carried out in the Palestinian arena in 2015. Schweitzer offers no comfort. “None came to fruition, but there were plans and attempts,” he notes.

Palestinian Terror Trio Neutralized by Vigilant Reservist During Attempted Stabbing Attack on IDF ForcesBy Lea Speyer January 8, 2016 , 8:56 am“Blessed be the LORD my Rock, who traineth my hands for war, and my fingers for battle.” (Psalm 144:1)An IDF reservist shot dead three Palestinians on Thursday while they attempted to carry out a stabbing attack near the Gush Etzion junction.“Three attackers, armed with knives, attempted to stab soldiers guarding the Gush Etzion junction,” the IDF said in a statement, adding that all three of the terrorists were killed.In a separate incident less than two hours later, a fourth Palestinian terrorist attempted to stab a an IDF soldier stationed at the Beit Anoun Junction outside Hebron, the army said.While trying to stab the soldier, fellow soldiers on the scene immediately responded. They neutralized and killed the terrorist, the IDF confirmed.According to a report by Walla! news, the soldiers stationed at the Gush Etzion junction had received a tip to an imminent attack before the three terrorists approached the checkpoint. This particular junction has been a flash-point of ongoing attacks by terrorists against Israeli civilians and security forces.READ MORE

Syrian Refugee Offers Wife’s Rape as Payment for Family’s Escape“Are they not finding, are they not dividing the spoil? A damsel, two damsels to every man…” (Judges 2:30)Last year while fleeing war-torn Syria, a refugee offered his wife’s rape as payment to smugglers for his family’s passage to Europe, reported the New York Times. The 30-year-old mother of four was raped almost daily for three months during the journey, by her husband as well as the smugglers.The husband volunteered his wife as payment when he ran out of money to pay for the passage. When the family reached Europe, the woman obtained a restraining order against him. She now has asylum and is living in Berlin with her children, but still fears reprisal from her husband or from his family.The woman refused to divulge her name out of terror that he or one of his relatives will kill her for bringing “dishonor” to the family. According to Susanne Höhne, a psychotherapist at a center in west Berlin which specializes in treating traumatized female refugees, she suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), with symptoms of flashbacks, insomnia, and difficulty concentrating.In a similar story, a young mother of three stranded in Turkey was robbed and left without money to pay the smuggler, who then offered her a free passage – if she would have sex with him.“Everybody knows there are two ways of paying the smugglers,” the woman told the New York Times. “With money or with your body.”image: http://www.breakingisraelnews.com/wp-content/uploads/useful_banner_manager_banners/130-Store-HonorDiaries-600WIDE.jpgWhen she refused to sleep with the smuggler, he became angry, and came into her room that night threatening her and her three daughters. She chased him away, and her family ended up having to stay in Turkey for nearly a year until she could earn enough money to pay the passage.Sexual violence against refugee women has become endemic among the Muslim migrant population. According to German social work organizations, more and more women and young girls in Germany’s refugee centers are the victims of rape and sexual assault; some are even forced into prostitution.While Germany’s laws are well-equipped to handle domestic abuse, the difficulties of overcoming the differences between western and eastern cultures has made it hard for German authorities to enforce the rules. Women, used to being “in the shadow” of men, are unwilling to come forward with cases of abuse.The conditions of refugee centers are also conducive to sexual abuse, says the UN refugee agency. “Men, women and children sleep in the same areas,” said William Spindler, a representative of the agency. All throughout Europe, “cases of sexual violence and family violence have been reported to our staff in the field.”

6.7 Magnitude Earthquake in India Causes Serious Damage to Bnei Menashe CommunityBy Abra Forman January 5, 2016 , 11:30 am“And there was a trembling in the camp in the field, and among all the people; the garrison, and the spoilers, they also trembled; and the earth quaked; so it grew into a terror from God.” (1 Samuel 14:15)An earthquake which measured at 6.7 magnitude on the Richter scale struck northeast India on Monday morning, killing at least nine people, injuring over 90, and causing extensive damage to the Bnei Menashe community in the Indian state of Manipur, where a group of Indian Jews believed to be the descendants of the lost tribe of Manasseh reside.Luckily, the epicenter of the quake was in an isolated area about 18 miles west of Manipur’s capital, limiting casualties. While there were no deaths or injuries among the Bnei Menashe, the quake caused significant structural damage in the community, breaking open roads, collapsing houses and buildings, and crushing vehicles.READ MORE http://www.breakingisraelnews.com/58096/earthquake-northeast-india-damages-bnei-menashe-community-jewish-world/#3ukrWhp5pioozIjm.99

Biblical Prophecy from Book of Daniel Connects Rapid Rise of Anti-Semitism as Precursor to RedemptionBy Rivkah Lambert Adler January 5, 2016 , 12:30 pm“Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it; and it is a time of trouble unto Jacob, but out of it shall he be saved.” (Jeremiah 30:7)From a Biblical perspective, it is possible to see the uptick in anti-Semitism as a sign of the coming Redemption.In his address to the Israeli Knesset on December 29, Irwin Cotler, a celebrated human rights lawyer, warned that Israel and the Jewish people are suffering from a “new, escalating, global, sophisticated, virulent and even lethal anti-Semitism.”Cotler characterized this new anti-Semitism as “discrimination against, denial of, assault upon the right of Israel and the Jewish people to live as an equal member of the family of nations, in fact the right even to live, with Israel emerging as the collective Jew among the nations – the targeted collective Jew among the nations.”The prophet Daniel, writing about the End of Days, warned that we would witness “a time of trouble, such as never was”:“And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince who standeth for the children of thy people; and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time; and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.” (Daniel 12:1)READ MORE http://www.breakingisraelnews.com/58101/biblical-prophecy-from-book-daniel-connects-rapid-rise-anti-semitism-precursor-redemption-jewish-world/#6y1UwHU6zrlO0kSS.99

“Earthquake” in North Korea Revealed to be Detonation of Hydrogen BombBy Abra Forman January 6, 2016 , 10:30 am“The voice of Thy thunder was in the whirlwind; the lightnings lighted up the world; the earth trembled and shook.” (Psalm 77:19)Kim Jong Un, Supreme Leader of North Korea (Photo: Traineek/Wikimedia Commons)North Korea is suspected of carrying out a nuclear test on Wednesday after a 5.1 magnitude seismic tremor was detected near its main atomic test site in the north of the country. The China Earthquake Network Center described the quake as a “suspected explosion”.The Korea Meteorological Administration told AFP that upon first analysis, the quake seemed to be a result of “artificial” causes, and the Japanese government said that there was a strong possibility of the seismic activity being a nuclear test.READ MOREhttp://www.breakingisraelnews.com/58202/earthquake-north-korea-likely-due-nuclear-testing-terror-watch/#AeVs3UugvtrCWS17.99

IDF Soldiers to Receive Special Neck Armor as Protection Against Stabbing AttacksBy Abra Forman January 6, 2016 , 11:30 am“Hear my voice, O God, in my complaint; preserve my life from the terror of the enemy.” (Psalm 64:2)New neck protection created for IDF soldiers serving in the West Bank. (IDF Spokesperson’s Unit)The IDF is set to distribute a newly-designed neck armor aimed at protecting soldiers against the stabbing terror attacks which have been plaguing the country in recent months.The army’s Logistics and Technology Directorate began developing the armor in November, at the request of the IDF’s Central Command, after Palestinian terrorists began a campaign of knife attacks against Israeli soldiers, security personnel and civilians which have killed dozens and injured hundreds more.Most of the neck armor will be given to soldiers serving in Judea and Samaria, where the attacks are especially prevalent. Hebron has become somewhat of a flashpoint for the violence, with dozens of stabbing attacks and attempts taking place almost daily.Though IDF soldiers are mostly protected from the attacks by their gear, which includes helmets and ceramic bulletproof vests, one particularly sensitive spot – the neck – remains exposed.READ MOREhttp://www.breakingisraelnews.com/58208/idf-will-deploy-neck-armor-combat-stabbing-attacks/#TTYUiUhWCLYXpA0f.99

800-Year-Old Prophecy Declares When“King of Persia Will Provoke King of Arabia” Redemption is Around the CornerBy Rivkah Lambert Adler January 6, 2016 , 12:30 pm“Arise, shine, for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee.” (Isaiah 60:1)When Saudi Arabia severed diplomatic ties with Iran, this created a chain reaction that led Bahrain and other Middle Eastern countries to expel Iranian diplomats. Unwittingly, Saudi Arabia’s actions can be seen as the fulfillment of a messianic Jewish prophecy found in the ancient Jewish holy book known as the Yalkut Shimoni.The Yalkut Shimoni, a compilation of rabbinic commentary on the Bible, is believed to have been composed in the 13th century. Despite being written over 800 years ago, the Yalkut Shimoni has something extremely relevant to say about today’s headlines.Speaking about the relevant passage in the Yalkut Shimoni, Rabbi Yekusiel Yehudah Halberstam, better known as the Klausenberger Rebbe, said, “Remember these words. Now, perhaps, they are not understood, but in time, they will be, and they will be a source of chizuk (strength) to Am Yisroel (the Jewish people).” The Klausenberger Rebbe was an Orthodox rabbi with thousands of followers in the years prior to World War II. Most of his followers were murdered in the Holocaust. The Klausenberger Rebbe died in Israel in 1994.READ MORE http://www.breakingisraelnews.com/58217/800-year-old-prophecy-declares-when-king-persia-will-provoke-king-arabia-redemption-around-corner-middle-east/#tOBlPQrdbI54Y85u.99

“Jewish Communities are a Cancer,” Says Palestinian PresidentBy Michael Zeff January 7, 2016 , 9:30 am“When thou drawest nigh unto a city to fight against it, then proclaim peace unto it. And it shall be, if it make thee answer of peace, and open unto thee, then it shall be, that all the people that are found therein shall become tributary unto thee, and shall serve thee. And if it will make no peace with thee, but will make war against thee, then thou shalt besiege it.” (Deuteronomy 20:10-12)Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, delivered a speech on Wednesday evening, January 6, which he forewarned was going to be “dramatic.”According to PA media outlets, Abbas’s speech was meant to be “ an important declaration and an answer to Israel.”“There should be no talk about the possible collapse of the PA, there will be no such collapse. Don’t even dream of the PA collapsing,” said Abbas during his speech, allegedly referring to a statement made by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier this week.On Sunday, January 3, MP Netanyahu was quoted as saying “Israel should be prepared for the collapse of the PA in the near future,” during a cabinet meeting.READ MORE http://www.breakingisraelnews.com/58323/jewish-communities-cancer-says-palestinain-authority-chairman-judea-and-samaria/#7yYYHuj0pb2EFZp8.99

Vatican Slams “Blasphemous” Charlie Hebdo Cover“Therefore I make a decree, that every people, nation, and language, which speak anything amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunghill; ...” (Daniel 3:29)The Vatican newspaper has lashed out against a portrayal of a blood-stained terrorist God on the cover of Charlie Hebdo’s special issue commemorating one year since the terror attack on its Paris office in which 11 people were killed.The cover illustration on the issue, which went on sale today, shows an angry, bearded God figure splattered with blood and carrying a Kalashnikov rifle over his shoulder. A large caption reads, “One year on: The assassin is still out there.”(Photo: Charlie Hebdo)The Vatican daily newspaper, Osservatore Romano, said that the cover disrespected all faiths. It criticized the magazine for essentially echoing the justification for crimes committed by religious extremists.READ MOREhttp://www.breakingisraelnews.com/58289/vatican-slams-blasphemous-charlie-hebdo-cover-jerusalem/#f1dffvAmyfOZ7w30.99

Storm of Controversy Swirls Around Orthodox Rabbinic Statement Promoting Interfaith RelationsBy Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz January 7, 2016 , 12:15 pm“Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him.” (Genesis 18:18)(Photo: Ohr Torah Stone / Public Domain / Wiki Commons)It has been less than a month since the groundbreaking statement by the Center for Jewish-Christian Understanding and Cooperation (CJCUC), titled “To Do the Will of Our Father in Heaven: Toward Partnership between Jews and Christians,” was published, and yet, the statement has already attracted a storm of criticism from all sides, as well as much powerful praise.Many Orthodox Jews have criticized the CJCUC’s unprecedented nature of calling for further connection between Jews and Christians, arguing that such a relationship violates tenets of Jewish law. Rabbi Dr. Eugene Korn, one of the originators of the statement and Academic Director of the CJCUC, explained otherwise.“Some have claimed the statement violates Jewish law. This is untrue. Halakhah (Jewish law) does not forbid talking to religious Christians or cooperating with them,” he told Breaking Israel News.READ MORE http://www.breakingisraelnews.com/58347/storm-controversy-swirls-around-orthodox-rabbinic-statement-promoting-interfaith-relations-biblical-zionism/#gULu5lQDPWy2hFRU.99

Recent Winter Storm Brings Precious Blessing of Rain to Sea of GalileeBy Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz January 4, 2016 , 1:20 pm“If ye walk in My statutes, and keep My commandments, and do them; then I will give your rains in their season, and the land shall yield her produce, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit..” (Leviticus 3-6)

The Sea of Galilee, December 2015. (Photo: Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz/ Breaking Israel News)Over the weekend, Israel was soaked with precipitation across the country, with heavy snow in the north and non-stop rain in many central and southern areas.While the winter weather conditions did inconvenience many in Israel, the precipitation is being hailed as a divine blessing on the land. The Sea of Galilee, Israel’s main water reservoir, rose four precious centimeters over the weekend, though Israel’s Water Authority reported it still remains 4.2 meters below full capacity.Heavy snow on Mount Hermon in the Golan Heights blanketed the mountainous region in 60 centimeters of snow. The Hermon ski resort was forced to close due to the extreme weather but is expected to open later this week.The snow in Israel’s north is a storehouse of water that, in the spring, will work its way down to the Sea of Galilee, helping to fill the national water reservoir.READ MORE

Trump: I Wouldn’t Rule Out Spying on Israel - Israel NewsBy Abra Forman January 4, 2016 , 11:15 amTrump: To Make America Great Again,I Would Spy on Israel“Thou knowest Abner the son of Ner, that he came to deceive thee, and to know thy going out and thy coming in, and to know all that thou doest.” (2 Samuel 3:25)Frontrunner Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump said on Sunday that he would not rule out the possibility of spying on Israel if he were elected president.An interviewer on CBS’s “Face the Nation” asked Trump to respond to recent reports that the National Security Agency (NSA) had continued to spy on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu two years after US President Barack Obama announced that the US would halt spying on friendly world leaders.When asked if he would be willing to spy on Israel, Trump replied that while he “would certainly not want to do it”, he would also not rule it out, instead opting to “leave open possibilities” of taking any actions necessary to “make our country great”.READ MORE

Mideast Reaching Boiling Point as Saudi Arabia Severs Diplomatic Ties with Iran“A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city; and their contentions are like the bars of a castle.” (Proverbs 18:19)The Saudi government has broken off all diplomatic ties with Iran on Sunday, with the Iranian government accusing the Saudis of stoking tensions in the Middle East. Saudi diplomats were given 48 hours to leave Iran.Angry Iranian protestors stormed the Saudi embassy in Tehran early Sunday morning after the government of Saudi Arabia executed Shiite cleric Nimr al-Nimr, along with 46 others, on charges of terrorism. Al-Nimr’s death sparked Shiite led protests across the Middle East on Sunday.Iran and Saudi Arabia are the Muslim Shiite and Sunni powers respectively in the region. Both countries have squared off over the war in Syria and conflict in Yemen, with Iran backing the Syrian regime and a Saudi-led coalition has been fighting Shiite rebels in Yemen. READ MORE

Rabbi Kanievsky: Israeli Medics Should Not Treat Injured TerroristsBy Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz January 1, 2016 , 2:00 pm“The soul that sinneth, it shall die; the son shall not bear the iniquity of the father with him, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son with him; the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.” (Ezekiel 18:20)Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky, one of Judaism’s most leading Torah authorities in the modern age,issued a new ruling stating that paramedics in Israel responding to terror attacks should not treat injured terrorists.The rabbis comments were made during a meeting with Hatzalah, a volunteer medical emergency response service, reported Arutz Sheva. The heads of the organization first received a blessing from the rabbi and then took the opportunity to inquire about Jewish law in the situation that is all too common during the wave of terror that has plagued Israel for several months.READ MORE

4 Things You Need to Know About the Middle East [VIDEO]By Chris Mitchell January 4, 2016 , 9:30 am“A wise man is strong; yea, a man of knowledge increaseth strength.” (Proverbs 24:5)The Middle East has been collapsing in turmoil and violence in recent years — from the ‘Arab Spring’ disasters in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and elsewhere to the rise of ISIS in Syria and Iraq.What do Americans really need to know about what’s going on in the Middle East?Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., retired Gen. Jay Garner, and former Israeli U.S. Ambassador Michael Oren are leading experts on the Middle East who explain four things you need to know.1. Unprecedented Turmoil“More generally in the Middle East, what the American people need to know is that this a time of unprecedented turmoil,” Cotton said.“Again, you have Iranian-backed proxies — whether they are militias, or state actors or terrorists groups — that are largely in control of large swaths of Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, (and) Yemen and that are going to continue to aggressively destabilize the region because Iran is going to get tens of billions of dollars to support them,” he said.2. Iran Will Get NukesCotton explained that Iran is going to get more conventional weapons and eventually they will also get nuclear weapons.“That is all going to happen in almost the first day of this (U.S.-led Iranian nuclear) deal,” Cotton continued. “They’re going to get the money immediately.”image: http://www.breakingisraelnews.com/wp-content/uploads/useful_banner_manager_banners/91-dateline%20jerusalem%20chris%20mitchell.pngDateline Jerusalem: An Eyewitness Account of Prophecies Unfolding in the Middle EastCotton believes the nuclear umbrella they’ll be developing will be a key factor in the pushback against Iranian actions in the region.“That’s why it’s so important to stand up to them now before they get stronger, before they realize that they can confront the U.S. and our allies throughout the region,” he said.3. A Middle East Torn ApartGen. Garner said the Middle East is beginning to break apart.“It’s beginning to be subverted by terrorist elements like al Qaeda or like al Qaeda in the Sinai Peninsula,” he said.Garner said the United States does not have a coherent Middle East policy, and Americans don’t generally recognize the realities in the region.“In Syria and Iraq…we’re running the gamut of nuclear proliferation…we need to have a policy and have to put the resources behind the policy to correct that,” he said.Oren said that isn’t necessarily the full picture with regard to the West.“The state system, as devised by the Europeans, they’re arbitrary borders that didn’t take into consideration ethnic and religious differences,” he explained.4. Middle East Not like Vietnam“The Middle East is not like Vietnam where you can pull your troops out and go home and be pretty confident that the Viet Cong are not going to follow you to wherever you’re going to — Chicago or Florida. The Middle East is going to come after you,” Oren said.“The Middle East is coming to a neighborhood near you, and the United States will remain deeply connected both strategically and financially to the Middle East,” he said.“So there’s no detaching,” he said. “If the United States wants to be a player in this region, a player diplomatically, it has to be a player militarily as well.”Originally published on CBN News

Muslim Immigration is what ISIS WantsBy Daniel GreenfieldAl Qaeda and ISIS are not “negative” protest movements formed in response to our foreign policy. That’s a foolish self-centered idea held by foolish self-centered Westerners.To understand ISIS, you have to understand the difference between terrorists and Islamic terrorists.Ordinary terrorists have two goals; to compel the enemy to meet their political demands and to rally their supporters to consolidate their class, race or national identity group behind them.Islamic terrorists are not interested in the “political demands” part. They will occasionally accept concessions and even offer Hudnas, temporary truces, but no permanent separate peace can be achieved with them. It’s why Israel’s peace process with terrorists has gone on failing for decades. It’s why the attempt by Gaddafi to achieve peace with the LIFG ended in a civil war and his death. It’s why Obama’s attempts to negotiate with the “moderate Taliban” failed miserably.Al Qaeda and ISIS are not “negative” protest movements formed in response to our foreign policy. That’s a foolish self-centered idea held by foolish self-centered Westerners. Al Qaeda and ISIS are “positive” movements that seek to achieve larger religious goals entirely apart from us. Islamic terrorists are not responding to us. They are responding to the Koran and to over a thousand years of history.READ MORE

Israel's Homegrown EnemiesBy Caroline GlickNot only have we discovered that Jewish terrorists exist in Israel, they also have supporters.This past July, unknown assailants threw a firebomb into the home of the Dawabsha family in Duma. The mother, Reham, and the father, Saad, along with their 18-month-old baby Ali were killed. Four-year-old Ahmed was critically injured.Authorities immediately alleged that the assailants were members of a Jewish terrorist organization.The accusations were widely disregarded by members of the national-religious camp, and by the Right, more generally. But following news that Jewish suspects were arrested for the crime earlier this month, those early allegations ring truer than before.The Right had good reason to raise an eyebrow at the allegations. The IDF, the Shin Bet and state prosecutors have a long history of open discrimination against the Right.READ MORE

The Cost of Collaborating with IranBy Ben CohenWhile colluding with Iranian terrorism may deliver short-term gains, in the long-term there are no benefits yielded and quite a few costs to boot.Next month marks the first anniversary of the death of Alberto Nisman, the Argentine federal prosecutor who spent a decade investigating the 1994 Iranian-backed bombing of the AMIA Jewish center in Buenos Aires. In that massacre, 85 people were murdered and hundreds more injured.Nisman’s lifeless body, readers will remember, was discovered in the bathroom of his Buenos Aires apartment on January 18, 2015 – the night before he was due to elaborate on his formal complaint against the government of President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner in front of the Argentine Congress. Nisman had concluded, based on the mountain of evidence that was available to him, that the main purpose of Fernández de Kirchner’s 2013 “Memorandum of Understanding” (MOU) with the Iranian regime was to abandon the demand for six Iranian suspects in the AMIA bombing to be extradited, thereby paving the way to restored relations between Buenos Aires and Tehran.The Argentine President made one spectacular miscalculation in all of this. At no point did it occur to her that Daniel Scioli, the candidate she chose to succeed her in the presidential election this year, would end up losing the ballot. But that’s exactly what happened. With the victory, in November, of the pragmatic Mauricio Macri, all of Fernández de Kirchner’s bets regarding the future of the AMIA investigation have been made redundant.READ MOREAl-Qaeda Group Uses Trump Soundbite to Recruit Jihadists“They are all grievous revolters, going about with slanders; they are brass and iron; they all of them deal corruptly.” (Jeremiah 6:28)(Photo: Michael Vadon/ Wiki Commons)Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has appeared in a jihadist recruitment video released by the Somalian al-Qaeda affiliate group al-Shahab, reported a US intelligence monitoring group on Sunday.The video shows a clip from a Trump speech in which the famously blunt multimillionaire called for a measure banning all Muslims from entering the US. The comment raised media outrage throughout the world.In the speech, made after a radical Islamist couple killed 14 in a shooting attack in California, Trump advocated a “total and complete shutdown” of Muslims coming into the US, at least until the US was able to “determine and understand this problem” of Islamic violence.Shabab used the clip to encourage youths to the West to wage jihad. Previous to Trump’s clip, the video shows a speech by Anwar al-Awlaki, an American-born radical imam killed in a US drone strike in September 2011, in which the imam called on American Muslims to “flee the oppressive Western atmosphere for the lands of Islam.”READ MORE

Extreme Winter Weather: Flash Flooding, Heavy Snowfall Strikes Israel“Out of the Chamber cometh the storm; and cold out of the north. By the breath of God ice is given, and the breadth of the waters is straitened.” (Job 37:9-10)Parts of Israel were hit with extreme winter weather conditions as snow fell in the north and flash flooding occurred in the south during a winter storm that affected the entire country over the weekend.In the Golan Heights, several road closures – routes 91, 98, 958 and 959 – caused heavy traffic jams across the north. In the south, flash flooding closed sections of routes 90 and 234 near the Dead Sea.Rainfall, which is expected to last through Monday evening, has led to the swelling of rivers and creeks in the north. The Sea of Galilee say a three-centimeter rise. The Jordan River, located along Israel’s eastern border, and the Yarkon River, which runs through Tel Aviv, have also seen dramatic a dramatic riseResidents of the Golan Heights woke up Saturday morning to heavy snowfall, with some lower parts of Mount Hermon seeing 45 centimeters of snow and up to 60 centimeters in the upper parts.READ MOREVatican Accord Recognizing "Palestine" Takes Effect“If a ruler hearkeneth to falsehood, all his servants are wicked.” (Proverbs 29:12)The Vatican announced on Saturday that the “Comprehensive Agreement between the Holy See and the State of Palestine”, signed in June, has taken full effect. This comes over two years after the Roman Catholic Church recognized the Palestinian territories as a sovereign state in February 2013.The accord covers the operation of the Church in areas of Israel under Palestinian control but many have said its significance is symbolic of growing international support for a Palestinian state.“With reference to the Comprehensive Agreement between the Holy See and the State of Palestine, signed on 26 June 2015, the Holy See and the State of Palestine have notified each other that the procedural requirements for its entry into force have been fulfilled,” a Vatican statement said“The agreement…regards essential aspects of the life and activity of the Church in Palestine, while at the same time reaffirming the support for a negotiated and peaceful solution to the conflict in the region.”READ MORE

Bill Calling for Non-Muslim Prayer on the Temple Mount Brings Prophetic Vision One Step CloserBy Rivkah Lambert Adler December 29, 2015 , 9:38 am“And many nations shall go, and they shall say, ‘Come, let us go up to the Lord’s mount and to the house of the God of Jacob, and let Him teach us of His ways, and we will go in His paths,’ for out of Zion shall the Torah come forth, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.” (Micah 4:2)The Third Holy Temple is at the core of the Jewish view of the End of Days. A new bill was recently proposed by member of Knesset Bezalal Smotrich that, if passed, would allow Jews and Christians to pray on the Temple Mount. This would bring Israel and the nations one step closer to the fulfillment of the prophet Micah’s vision that the non-Jewish nations of the world will ascend the Temple Mount and will learn from God how to go in His ways.READ MORE

Upcoming Conference to Explore the Growing Threats on Evangelical Support for IsraelBy Lea Speyer December 29, 2015 , 11:26 am“And I will bless them that bless thee, and him that curseth thee will I curse; and in thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed.” (Genesis 12:3)Evangelical support for Israel is under threat as a growing trend of Christians consciously turning their backs on Israel continues to increase.To address this major concern among the Christian Zionist and Jewish community, The Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America (CAMERA) is hosting a groundbreaking conference, entitled “Get the Facts about the Assault on Christian Support for Israel,” exploring the troubling campaigns to undermine the historical and theological support for Israel among Christians.READ MORE

Tumultuous Year Ending on Positive NoteBy Earl CoxThis past year for Israel has been a raucous one.Israel’s Prime Minister Netanyahu has had to skillfully wend his way politically through the innuendoes of friend and foe alike. If only other political entities were so good at providing leadership, the world might be in a better place.Netanyahu risked a lot earlier in the year vigorously contesting the JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) commonly known as the Iranian Nuclear Deal, that was prodded through by the unyielding American president. The relationship between the United States and Israel was contentious at best and arguably made worse by the Prime Minister accepting an official invitation to speak before the U.S. Congress to share his insights about the Iranian Deal.READ MORE

Bombshell Report Reveals Obama Spied on Netanyahu During Iran NegotiationsBy Lea Speyer December 30, 2015 , 9:30 am“That He will deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.” (Psalm 91:3)Obama Abandons IsraelIn a bombshell revelation, the US National Security Agency (NSA), under direction of US President Barack Obama, has been eavesdropping on phone conversations between top Israeli officials and American-Jewish groups and US lawmakers, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday.READ MORE

ISIS Fatwa Lays Ground Rules for Jihadists on How to Have Sex with Female Slaves“Woe unto the wicked! It shall be ill with him; for the work of his hands shall be done to him.” (Isaiah 3:11)Theologians of the Islamic State (ISIS) have issued what can only be described as exceptionally detailed rulings on when “owners” can have sex with female slaves captured by the jihadist group, Reuters reported.The religious ruling, known as a fatwa, is an attempt by ISIS leadership to change the treatment of captured female slaves. According to an Islamic State scholar cited in the report, the new fatwas gives great insight into how the terror group is religiously justifying sexual slavery of women, which has become commonplace in the parts of Iraq and Syria controlled by ISISREAD MORE

In Family Tradition Handed Down through Generations, Rabbi Reveals Conflict Between Russia & Turkey Precursor to Messiah By Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz December 30, 2015 , 12:30 pm“And Jacob called unto his sons, and said: ‘Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the end of days. Assemble yourselves, and hear, ye sons of Jacob; and hearken unto Israel your father. ” (Genesis 49:1-2)Russian President Vladimir Putin with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan After news conference following a meeting of High-Level Russian-Turkish Cooperation Council, Istanbul, Turkey. (Photo: Russian Presidential Press and Information Office www.kremlin.ru)On Saturday evening, Rabbi Aharon Shtern, the son of the respected kabbalist, Rabbi David Chaim Shtern of Bnei Brak, revealed an astounding teaching handed down from father to son for untold generations regarding the End of Days.This past Saturday night, at the Tomb of King David on Mount Zion in Jerusalem, Rabbi Shtern spoke at a traditional melaveh malkah meal, which is held each Saturday night upon the conclusion of the Sabbath by Jews all over the world.READ MORE

Follow Trump’s Money to MoscowBy Cliff KincaidThe phrase “follow the money” is supposed to help explain human behavior, especially in politics. So why has Donald Trump embraced Russian President Vladimir Putin?Why has he denied the evidence of Putin’s killing of Russian journalists and dissidents? A savvy businessman, Trump is certainly not dumb. There must be something else to it.Reports dating back to 1987, during the time of the old Soviet Union, reveal that Trump has been seeking business in Russia and attempting to build a “Russian Trump Tower” in Moscow and perhaps other Russian cities.READ MORE

Is Obama Playing into the Hands of ISIS’s End of Days Prophecies?With ISIS Poised for War, is the West Playing into their Plans for Armageddon?By Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz December 31, 2015 , 11:30 am“Lo, I will bring a nation upon you from far, O house of Israel, saith the LORD…Their quiver is an open sepulchre, they are all mighty men…they shall eat up thy sons and thy daughters…But even in those days, saith the LORD, I will not make a full end with you. And it shall come to pass, when ye shall say: ‘Wherefore hath the LORD our God done all these things unto us?’ then shalt Thou say unto them: ‘Like as ye have forsaken Me, and served strange gods in your land, so shall ye serve strangers in a land that is not yours.” (Jeremiah 5:15-19)The Islamic State (ISIS) is wreaking havoc around the world and has become one of the most central factors in global current events. Remarkably, the jihadist terror organization is widely misunderstood.Also referred to by the Arabic acronym Daesh (which ISIS considers insulting), the White House administration is unique in referring to the group as ISIL, an acronym for Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. US President Barack Obama has made statement referring to ISIS as “not Islamic” and as al-Qaeda’s “jayvee team team,” though both these statements are horribly inaccurate.READ MORE

New Bible Code Hints 2016 Ripe for the MessiahIn a new video, word renowned Bible Codes expert Rabbi Mattityahu Glazerson revealed yet another connection between the upcoming year of 2016 and the arrival of the Messiah.Glazerson opens the video by reviewing Genesis 49:1, a verse that was read in synagogues all around the world last week. In this verse, our forefather Jacob is lying on his deathbed. He calls all his sons together in order to share with them what he knows about the End of Days.“And Jacob called unto his sons, and said: ‘Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the end of days.’”Since every Hebrew letter has a numerical value, there is a whole system of studying hidden meanings in Hebrew texts by calculating their numerical values. This system is known as gematria. Based on a text in the Zohar, the primary text of Judaism’s mystical tradition, Glazerson calculates the gematria (the numerical value) of the two Hebrew words from Genesis 49:1 that mean “shall befall you” to be 772.READ MORE

String of Global ISIS New Year's Eve Attacks Foiled“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” (Psalm 46:2)A string of global ISIS-backed New Year’s Eve terror attacks were foiled by security officials.In New York, US federal authorities announced a man was arrested and charged with planning an attack on a bar to prove to ISIS that he was worthy of joining up with jihadists in Syria.25-year-old Emanuel Lutchman was charged by prosecutors with attempting to provide material support to terrorists. He was taken down by officials in an FBI sting.According to a federal complaint, Lutchman is a self-professed convert to Islam. He claimed to have received instructions from an overseas ISIS member and planned to attack a bar in the Rochester area on Thursday evening. He purchased knives and a machete to carry out the attack.READ MORE

Is the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict Shifting from a Political to a Religious War?“I am all peace; but when I speak, they are for war” (Psalms 120:7)By JNS January 1, 2016 , 9:30 amNear-daily Palestinian attacks against Israeli civilians and soldiers have been ongoing since October. This “new kind of terrorism,” as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described it, might mean more knives and less suicide bombings, but it is all part of the decades –old Palestinian-Israeli conflict.READ MORE

Despite Rocky History, More and More Christians Helping Jews Make AliyahBy Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz December 28, 2015 , 12:30 pm“Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy; then they said among the nations, ‘The LORD has done great things for them.’” (Psalms 126:2)New immigrants from USA and Canada arriving at Ben Gurion Airport on August 14, 2012 are greeted by IDF soldiers. (Photo: Yossi Zeliger / FLASH90)New immigrants from USA and Canada arriving at Ben Gurion Airport on August 14, 2012 are greeted by IDF soldierThe birth of the State of Israel brought with it practical and spiritual implications for the relations between Jews and Christians in ways that were unimaginable to previous generations. The Jewish State rose up from the ashes of the Holocaust and brought with it something entirely new and unexpected; a movement of Christian funded organizations that see it is as their God-given mission to help the Jews return to Israel as part of their messianic calling.Operation Exodus is a stellar example of this new relationship. Started in the United Kingdom in 1991 by Gustav Scheller, the organization now has representatives in over 50 countries around the world who have assisted over 150,000 Jewish people in returning to Israel, including 1,750 from the US, as part of the aliyah (immigration to Israel) movement. Operation Exodus is a partner organization of the Jewish Agency for Israel and other Jewish aliyah organizations.READ MORE

Proposed Knesset Bill Upholds AncientJewish Right to Prayer on Temple MountBy Abra Forman December 27, 2015 , 4:45 pm“I rejoiced when they said unto me: ‘Let us go unto the house of the LORD.’” (Psalm 122:1)The Temple Mount in Jerusalem (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)A new bill has been submitted to the Israeli Knesset demanding that Jews be given the freedom to pray on the Temple Mount, effectively changing the current status quo.If passed, the bill, proposed by MK Bezalal Smotrich (Jewish Home), would hold that Israel’s guarantee of freedom of religion must include access and ability to worship at every holy site in the country. The law would apply not just to Jews but to people of all religions, and would, of course, include the most highly contested holy site in the country – the Temple Mount.As the law stands today, the right to freedom of religion in Israel is hampered by a “lacuna”, a situation in which a specific law or provision is lacking, which “does not protect, specifically, freedom of worship and freedom of access.”The bill proposes to add a clause to the existing law “protecting the holy places, [allowing] freedom of worship for all religions with free and fixed access, so that this fundamental right will be defined by law and will result in freedom of worship anywhere and to anyone.”READ MORE

Israel’s Homegrown EnemiesBy Caroline GlickBy falsely accusing the state of committing torture, right-wing terrorism apologists are advancing the cause of terrorists just as Breaking the Silence advances the cause of Palestinian terroristsBy Caroline Glick December 28, 2015 , 11:00 amThis past July, unknown assailants threw a firebomb into the home of the Dawabsha family in Duma. The mother, Reham, and the father, Saad, along with their 18-month-old baby Ali were killed. Four-year-old Ahmed was critically injured.Authorities immediately alleged that the assailants were members of a Jewish terrorist organization.The accusations were widely disregarded by members of the national-religious camp, and by the Right, more generally. But following news that Jewish suspects were arrested for the crime earlier this month, those early allegations ring truer than before.The Right had good reason to raise an eyebrow at the allegations. The IDF, the Shin Bet and state prosecutors have a long history of open discrimination against the Right.In 2001, 14 years before the Dawabshas were murdered, then-attorney-general Elyakim Rubinstein retracted five-year-old indictments against members of Eyal.Eyal was a phony terrorist group put together in 1994 by a Shin Bet agent provocateur named Avishai Raviv. Its purpose was to demonize the national-religious community. As the most outspoken critics of the Oslo peace process with the PLO, the national-religious community was targeted for demonization.Raviv and his colleagues had for years sought to entice members of the community to carry out acts of politically motivated violence. And when all else failed, he formed a fake terrorist group and invited reporters to film its fake swearing-in ceremony.READ MORE

The Islam Terror TruthersBy Daniel Greenfield December 28, 2015 , 10:00 amEach and every act of Muslim terrorism is followed by a wave of denial. The politicians who have done the most to cause the latest disaster are the eagerest to blame it on something, anything else.The San Bernardino Muslim massacre was blamed on postpartum depression at CNN. Bill Nye blamed the latest Paris attacks on Global Warming. According to Hillary Clinton, Benghazi was a movie review with artillery. Islamic terrorism was blamed by the State Department on a lack of jobs, but Syed Farook had a good government job and his wife was the daughter of a wealthy family.After rummaging through their big brass chest of excuses, Obama and his media allies have settled on gun control as their latest weapon of mass distraction.READ MORE

Pledging Allegiance to Jihad in the USABy David Rubin December 22, 2015 , 9:00 amAs reported on Fox News, a Muslim Civil Court judge was sworn in this week in New York City using the Koran, the holy book of Islam, as a testament to her radical Islamic belief system.In the realm of “political correctness”, the Left’s nihilistic value system, Islamic values are okay, not just in the legal system, but in politics as well. According to the Left, the Bible should no longer be the basis of society’s civil principles, but a judge or a politician can now be sworn in on the Koran, a book that calls repeatedly for Jihad – holy war against all non-Muslims. That same judge or politician can now legally swear allegiance to the Islamic ideology that allows wife-beating, abuse of children, and other crimes that would usually be considered aberrations in Western countries.Many extreme liberal pundits say that there is nothing problematic in this. They insist that it’s just an isolated case of granting equal religious rights to a religious minority. However, such claims are fallacious at best. The sad reality is that the West is being threatened by a dangerous ideology. A society that pledges allegiance to the biblical principle of “Love your neighbor as yourself” cannot live at peace with a society within that calls for Jihad.READ MOREISIS Leader Threatens “Palestine Will Be Graveyard for Jews”“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10)ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. (Photo: Video Screenshot)In a new speech released on social media on Saturday, head of the Islamic State (ISIS) terror group, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, issued a threat to Israel for the first time publicly, warning that “Palestine will be a graveyard for Jews.”“If the Islamic coalition against ISIS were truly Islamic, it would declare that it was cutting ties with its Jewish and crusader masters and that its goal was to kill the Jews and liberate Palestine,” he said, according to a translation by Ynet.“The Jews thought we forgot Palestine and that they had distracted us from it. Not at all, Jews. We did not forget Palestine for a moment. With the help of Allah, we will not forget it…The pioneers of the jihadist fighters will surround you on a day that you think is distant and we know is close. We are getting closer every day. You will never find comfort in Palestine, Jews,” said Baghdadi.“Palestine will not be your land or your home, but it will be a graveyard for you. Allah assembled you in Palestine so that the Muslims kill you, so that you may hide behind stones and trees,” al-Baghdadi stated, referencing a teaching from the Muslim Hadith saying that says in the End of Days, stones and trees will help Muslims murder all Jews.READ MORE

Swine Flu Breakout in Israel Leads to Fears of a Possible Epidemic“... As for me, I said, ‘O Lord, be gracious to me; heal me, for I have sinned against you!’” (Psalms 41:2-4)A Swine Flu virus (H1N1) breakout has been declared in Israel, with 13 people already infected, nine in serious condition. One woman in her 50s has died after contracting the virus. Three pregnant women and a four-year-old girl are among those infected.HAdassah Hospital reported that 27 percent of its flu checks on patients have resulted in positive outcomes, with 80 percent of the flu cases indicating Swine Flu.Israel’s Health Ministry has issued emergency guidelines, recommending to the public immediate vaccinations, which are being offered for free via all major health insurance companies. Thousands of Israelis have responded by getting vaccinated in the past week.The infection is caused by several different strains of Swine Influenza viruses, some of which are endemic in pigs and can pass over to humans. The disease cannot be acquired by eating pork, which is proscribed by Judaism and Islam and not widely consumed in Israel. Pregnant women and those in the first four weeks after giving birth are at higher risk for developing Swine Flu.READ MORE

Biblical Reasons to Stand with Israel as the World Combats TerrorismBy Tsivya Fox December 27, 2015 , 8:30 am“Sojourn in this land and I will be with you and bless you.” (Genesis 26:2–6)Western civilization is facing an onslaught of conflicting messages. On the one hand, hundreds of thousands of Muslim refugees are being welcomed into countries around the world under the auspices of humanitarian aid. On the other hand, people are fearful of the spread of radical Islam and the terrorism which comes with this extremism.Yet, Israel remains on the front page of news reports around the world. As the only democracy in the Middle East, a place where all religions are free to worship and all cultures attend its universities, Breaking Israel News sat down with David Rubin, the founder and president of the Shiloh Israel Children’s Fund and a survivor of a miraculous terror attack, to hear his views on Islam and the Biblical reasons to stand with Israel.Terror survivor David Rubin, founder of the Shiloh Israel Children’s Fund. (Photo: Courtesy)“I always talk about the role Israel plays in the world,” Rubin told Breaking Israel News. “Despite it being a tiny country, smaller than the size of New Jersey, it is the world leader for freedom against Islamic terror and the encroaching Islamic tsunami taking place today in Israel, the US and across all western civilizations.”READ MORE

US Lawmaker Ileana Ros-Lehtinen Gives MUST-SEE Speech Legitimizing Israel’s Biblical Sovereignty Over Jerusalem [VIDEO]By Lea Speyer December 25, 2015 , 10:00 am“For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent, for Jerusalem’s sake I will not remain quiet, till her vindication shines out like the dawn, her salvation like a blazing torch.” (Isaiah 62:1)Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) (Photo: United States Congress)In a major coup against those attempting to delegitimize Israel’s sovereignty in Jerusalem, US lawmaker Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) made an impassioned speech on the floor of Congress last week defending Israel’s ancient and Biblical claims to the land.Ros-Lehtinen, the Chairwoman of the House Subcommittee on the Middle East & North Africa, spoke on the floor of the House of Representatives about the significance of recent archaeological discoveries found in Jerusalem.“For quite some time there has been an effort at the United Nations to delegitimize the Jewish State of Israel and to try to whitewash the Jewish peoples’ historical and Biblical connection to Israel,” said Ros-Lehtinen. “Denying the historic connection of the Jewish people to Jerusalem is false. Amazing archaeological discoveries are frequently made that prove the roots of the Jewish people are in Israel.”The impetus for Ros-Lehtinen’s address was due to the recent discovery of a seal inscribed with the name of the Biblical King Hezekiah by archaeologists from the Hebrew University and City of David.image: http://www.breakingisraelnews.com/wp-content/uploads/useful_banner_manager_banners/144-JerusalemCovenant-600WIDE.jpg“Earlier this month a Hebrew University archeological team unearthed an unprecedented impression of a royal seal of King Hezekiah from the First Temple period. This marks the first time that a seal impression of an Israelite or Judean king has ever been discovered within the context of an archaeological excavation,” Ros-Lehtinen explained. “It proves that not only is Israel the religious center for Jews; it is their ancestral and historic homeland.”According to Ze’ev Orenstein, Director of International Affairs for the City of David Foundation, “In order to truly understand the discourse surrounding Jerusalem today, one must recognize the significance of the ongoing archaeological excavations taking place in the City of David which affirm the 3,000 year-old connection between the Jewish people and Jerusalem.”The recent find has induced the congresswoman to make a trip to Israel to view the rare archaeological find herself. “I look forward to visiting the City of David in the near future to see firsthand the rich history of the Jewish people,” she said.VIDEOEvery day archaeologists unearth discoveries linking the Jews historical connection to IsraelIleanaRosLehtinenhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YI4QD09V3tQ

Trump’s Yiddish Fighting Words:Hillary Got “Shlonged” by Obama in 2008“There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.” (Proverbs 12:18)Donald Trump (left) and Hillary Clinton. (Photo: (Photos: Michael Vadon/Magnus Manske/ Wiki Commons)Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has said many less-than-kind things about his Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton, but this may be the first time he’s used Yiddish to do so.Speaking to 6,000 supporters at a campaign rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Trump said of Hillary’s defeat by Obama in 2008, “She was favored to win and she got schlonged, she lost.”“Schlong” is a Yiddish word for penis. Yiddish, an amalgam of German and Hebrew, was the language traditionally spoken by Jews from eastern Europe. It is still spoken today among some religious Jewish sects.Many words from Yiddish have made their way into the English vocabulary, including “klutz”, “schlep”, “putz”, “chutzpah”, “kitsch”, “kvetch”, “nosh”, “schmooze” and “schmuck”.Trump, whose daughter converted to Judaism, has been known to use Yiddish words and expressions before. In November, he said of a competitor, “Jeb Bush, let’s say he’s president – Oy, yoy, yoy.”“Oy” comes from the Yiddish exclamation meaning “Oh!”, and generally expresses dismay, anxiety, or woe.READ MORE

Two Terrorists Shot Dead Following Violent Stabbing Attack in Jerusalem [VIDEO]“Our feet are standing within your gates, O Jerusalem.” (Psalm 122:2)In a terror attack on Wednesday at the Old City’s Jaffa Gate, two terrorists stabbed and seriously wounded three civilians, according to police reports.The two terrorists were shot and neutralized by Border Policewomen at the scene. One terrorist was killed immediately. The second died later of his wounds.“This was a serious terror attack,” said Shimi Grossman, a first responder at the scene, said in a statement. “Two terrorists stabbed two Israelis at the entrance to the Jaffa Gate. Both terrorists were neutralized by the security forces who were in the area. One Israeli was badly injured, the other one lightly to moderately injured and both were evacuated to hospital. A team of ZAKA volunteers are working to clear the terror site.”Should Jews be allowed to pray on the Temple Mount?ZAKA is an Orthodox Jewish organization that rushes to the emergency scenes to provide first aid, ambulance assistance, and special burial procedures for Jewish remainsREAD MORE

In Heartwarming Christmas Story, IDF Welcomes More Pro-Israel Christian ArabsBy Abra Forman December 23, 2015 , 10:15 am“Now it came about when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing opposite him with his sword drawn in his hand, and Joshua went to him and said to him, ‘Are you for us or for our adversaries?’ He said, ‘No; rather I indeed come now as captain of the host of the LORD.’” (Joshua 5:13-14Father Gabriel Naddaf hosts a Christmas celebration for Arab Christian IDF soldiers. (Photo Credit: Courtesy of Israeli Christians Recruitment Forum.)As Christmas approaches, an Israeli priest is spearheading a program to dramatically increase the number of Christian Arabs enlisting and serving in the Israeli Defense Forces. The Israeli Christian Recruitment Forum, led by Greek Orthodox priest Father Gabriel Naddaf of Nazareth, aims to double the number of Christian Arabs enlisting and serving in the Israeli Defense ForcesThe Forum, which is supported by the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, has seen a huge jump in numbers since it began its work. It saw a 50% increase from its founding year in 2012, in which only 40 Christian drafted to the Israeli army, to 2014, when over 100 drafted. In March of 2015 alone, 102 Christian Arabs entered the IDF due to the work of the Forum.Israeli law does not require minorities in the Jewish State to serve in the IDF, so all of the Arab Christians recruits are choosing to volunteer. A notable exception has always been the Israeli Druze community, which is proudly Zionist and has served in the IDF since the state’s creation in 1948. Now, Father Naddaf hopes that some of the 165,000 Arab Christians in Israel will follow in the Druze’s footsteps.The Bridge Builder: The Life and Continuing Legacy of Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein - Read Now!The initiative is really part of a larger movement by Father Naddaf to recast the entire Arab Christian population as a group which, like the Druze, identifies as patriotic Israelis, rather than enemies of Israel. He aims to integrate the minority into mainstream Israeli society. Father Naddaf has even coined a new moniker for the community, calling its members “Israeli Christians” rather than Arab Christians.He explained, “Calling them ‘Arab-Christian’ puts them on the side of Palestinians and terrorists, when in reality they’ve lived in Israel for generations and just want to live in peace and security.”While the Forum, which also gives financial aid to needy Christian families in Israel and discharged IDF soldiers, does not receive government support, Father Naddaf and the Fellowship were recognized by Israel’s Defense Minister, Moshe Ya’alon, in a Jerusalem ceremony last week.At the ceremony, Father Naddaf thanked “Christian donors around the world” for supporting him through the Fellowship, saying, “Your assistance is essential for the strength of Israeli society.” He added, “This society will achieve peace and defeat evil.”READ MORE

Iranian Cyber Hackers Infiltrate US Power Grids in Attempt to Cause BlackoutsBy Lea Speyer December 22, 2015 , 9:30 am“For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence.” (Psalm 91:3)(Photo: Breaking Israel News)Iranian hackers were successful in opening network pathways among US power grids, making the entire country susceptible to a cyber attack, the Associated Press has revealed in a startling new report.Over the last decade, almost a dozen foreign hackers have successfully gained enough remote access to the US power grid to cause total blackouts. While the public rarely hears of these cyber attacks, the government’s response to them are highly intricate and more often than not, classified.Although the Iranian hacking incident is worrying, it is not unique. In 2012 and 2013, Russian hackers sent and received encrypted commands to US power generators and public utilities. In separate hacking campaigns, the Department of Homeland Security revealed that Russian hackers had planted malware in private US energy companies that allowed them to engage in espionage.According to experts who wished to remain anonymous due to security issues, the Iranian cyber attackers gained enough power to control the entire operational capability of the US power grid.These same experts predict that while the nationwide blackouts most feared by the intelligence community have not yet occurred, these sophisticated hackers are biding their time and have the capability to strike at will.“If the geopolitical situation changes and Iran wants to target these facilities, if they have this kind of informations it will make it a lot easier,” explained former US Air Force cyberwarfare operations officers Robert M. Lee. “It will also help them stay quiet and stealthy inside.”image: http://www.breakingisraelnews.com/wp-content/uploads/useful_banner_manager_banners/27-BIN-OpEd-Experts-600WIDE1.pngLillian Ablon, a cybersecurity expert at the RAND Corporation, explained that hackers “want to be stealth. That’s the ultimate power, because when you need to do something you are already in place.”As part of its investigation, the AP conducted case studies of the state of the nation’s energy infrastructure and the readiness of the industry against cyber attacks. In one disturbing incident, involving independent power production company Calpine, who calls itself “America’s largest generator of electricity from natural gas and geothermal resources,” Iranian hackers breached the company’s systems as far back as August 2013 and gained access to classified information.Hackers collected usernames and passwords, detailed engineering drawings of power stations and networks from California to New York, as well as additional diagrams explaining how local power plants transmit information back to the company’s virtual cloud.All this information, taken together, would eventually allow a hacker to shut down generating stations and network communications as well as cause near blackouts across the country. Cybersecurity experts believe the attack on Calpine could still be ongoing.READ MORE

More Christians Die, More Western Leaders Lie: Muslim Persecution of ChristiansBy Raymond IbrahimAs more Christians are slaughtered and persecuted for their religion...increasing numbers of people and organizations called for action. Meanwhile, those best placed to respond — chief among them President Obama and Pope Francis — did nothing.“I do not understand why the world does not raise its voice against such acts of brutality.” — Melkite Greek Catholic Patriarch Gregory III.The White House said it was preparing to accuse the Islamic State of genocide against religious minorities, recognizing various groups, such as the Yazidis, as victims. However, Christians are apparently not going to be included.An NGO report states that one Christian is slaughtered every five minutes in Iraq, and that, “Islamic State Militants in Iraq are using Christian churches as torture chambers where they force Christians to either convert to Islam or die.”When Pope Francis stood before the world at the UN, his energy was, once again, spent on defending the environment. In his nearly 50-minute speech, only once did Francis make reference to persecuted Christians — and their sufferings were merged in the same sentence with the supposedly equal sufferings of “members of the majority religion,” that is, Sunni Muslims. Sunnis are not being slaughtered, beheaded, and raped for their faith; are not having their mosques bombed and burned; are not being jailed or killed for apostasy, blasphemy, or proselytization.“What is happening in Lebanon is an attempt to replace the people with [Muslim] Syrians and Palestinians.” — Gebran Bassil, Foreign Minister of Lebanon.Throughout September, as more Christians were slaughtered and persecuted for their religion — not just by the Islamic State but by “everyday” Muslims from all around the world — increasing numbers of people and organizations called for action. Meanwhile, those best placed to respond — chief among them U.S. President Barack Obama and Pope Francis — did nothing.READ MORE

On the Middle East, Obama and Trump are Closer Than You ThinkBy Ben CohenThe massacre in San Bernardino by an Islamist husband-and-wife terror team forces us to recognize, once again, that the US has to choose between isolationism and internationalism in its foreign policy.The massacre in San Bernardino by an Islamist husband-and-wife terror team forces us to recognize, once again, that the United States has to choose between isolationism and internationalism in its foreign policy.Put another way, it’s a choice between disengaging from the world’s most febrile regions, in the hope that doing so will put us out of harm’s way and rein in our “imperial” instincts, or actively engaging on our own terms, in the expectation that we can effectively counter rogue regimes and terrorist groups.This is where we get to a disturbing similarity between President Barack Obama and GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump. The reason? Both of them approach foreign policy from the vantage point of isolationismTake Obama first. A rare Oval Office address to the nation in the wake of the San Bernardino shooting manifestly failed to say anything we hadn’t heard before—READ MOREThe Terrorist Wears a BurqaBy Dr. Phyllis CheslerWhenever burqas, heavy face veils, and dark, Iranian-style head, shoulder, and shapeless body coverings appear in the West, we must consider this as a symbol of radical Islam–or of Islamic Jihad.A number of journalists initially claimed that a woman was behind the San Bernardino massacre, and that Tashfeen Malik radicalized her husband Syed Rizwan Farook.Anyone who has studied Islamic terrorist killers and radical Islamic culture knows that this is very unlikely.Samia Labidi, a French-Tunisian dissident and former Islamist, describes how Tunisian Islamist men infiltrated her family “very softly, by means of marriage.” They also infiltrated universities by promising men to “restore their masculine dominance.” Docile wives and polygamy in a post-feminist age might seem very attractive.Radical Islam appeals to many men for this reason, among others.READ MORE

Father Gabriel Naddaf: Despite PA Claims, Jesus Was NOT a PalestinianIn response to repeated statements by Palestinian Authority (PA) officials that Jesus was a Palestinian, Israeli Christian leader Father Gabriel Naddaf denounced the claims on Facebook earlier this month.“On what authority does President Abbas claim that Jesus was a Palestinian?” Naddaf wrote. “The Bible says that He was born in the Jewish city of Bethlehem to Jewish parents from the city of Nazareth and was circumcised on the 8th day as a Jew and presented to the Jewish Temple by His parents according to the Mosaic law.”The PA has had a long-standing policy of rewriting history to undermine Jewish connections to the Land of Israel and to strengthen Palestinian and Arab claims to the land.READ MORE

Rocket Fire from Lebanon HitsNorthern IsraelThree rockets fired from Lebanon fell in Israel’s Western Galilee on Sunday evening, causing a red alert siren to sound in the northern city of Nahariya and surrounding towns. There were no reports of injuries or damages.Several cities opened municipal bomb shelters in response to the sirens, though the mayor of Nahariyah, Jackie Sabag, issued a statement asking residents to carry on with normal activities and saying there was no need to open the shelters as of yet.According to Lebanese media reports, the rockets were launched from a village near the city of Tyre in Lebanon by the terror group Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) as part of a symbolic response to Israel’s killing of Hezbollah official Samir Kuntar earlier on Sunday.READ MORE

In Holy City of Hebron, Jewish Community Struggles to Hang On“So Edom revolted against Judah to this day.”(Kings 2 8:22)The holy city of Hebron may be the second holiest in the world after Jerusalem, but lately, it has gotten much more media attention as the center of the storm during the latest round of Palestinian stabbings, shootings and vehicular attacks against Israeli citizens.“The Jews of Hebron are clear about their mission,” shared Rabbi Daniel Rosenstein, Executive Director of The Hebron Fund, which is the Hebron Jewish community’s official sponsor, with Breaking Israel News. “We understand that our presence prevents this holy city from completely being taken over by Arabs.”READ MORE

Report: Hezbollah Mastermind Samir Kuntar Assassinated in Israeli AirstrikeTop Hezbollah mastermind Samir Kuntar was killed in an airstrike reportedly by Israel, Arab media reported.Kuntar and eight other Hezbollah operatives were killed in the early Sunday morning strike in the Damascus suburb of Jaramana. Hezbollah confirmed Kuntar’s death, with the Assad regime initially blaming “terrorist groups” for the strike. As per policy, Israel has neither confirmed nor denied its involvement in the airstrike.Kuntar, along with a group of commanders from other jihadist groups, were in the midst of planning attacks on Israel. According to reports, Kuntar was assassinated not for his previous actions against Israel but because of future attacks he was planning.According to Reuters, the building in which Kuntar was residing was “completely destroyed” in the airstrike. The National Defense Forces in Jaramana, loyal to the Assad regime, announced the mourning of Kuntar’s death.READ MORE

ZAKA Chairman:“We Will First Treat Victims Before Treating Murderous Terrorist”By Abra Forman December 17, 2015 , 2:45 pm“Let death steal over them; let them go down to Sheol alive; for evil is in their dwelling place and in their heart.” (Psalm 55:15)ZAKA volunteers remove the body of a terrorist responsible for an attack at Jerusalem’s bust Machne Yehudah market, November 23, 2015. (Photo: ZAKA)In response to a recent injunction by the Ethics Committee of the Israel Medical Association (IMA) to treat patients at the scenes of terror attacks on the basis of the most pressing medical needs without regarding whether the patient is a victim or perpetrator of the attack, ZAKA chairman and founder Yehudah Meshi-Zahav stated unequivocally that his first-responder organization will always treat victims before terrorists.The IMA issued the directive on Monday, drastically changing the existing triage guidelines laid out for medical and emergency personnel at scenes of medical emergencies. Until now, patients were not prioritized solely on the basis of their injuries but also according to the principle that “charity begins at home”, essentially meaning that medical staff should attend to the needs of the victims of a terror attack before treating the terrorist, even if he or she is more seriously wounded.However, under the new guidelines, emergency medical workers are ordered to treat patients at terror attacks on the basis of medical considerations alone. What this means in practical terms is that first responders may find themselves in situations in which they are forced to treat a terrorist before tending to the victims of an attack.The decision to change the guidelines was made as a result of a petition by Physicians for Human Rights, a group which claimed that Israel was acting in violation of international medical ethics and human rights, and following a lengthy discussion within the IMA and its Ethics Committee. Professor Avinoam Reches, the Committee’s chairman, made a statement in which he argued that “medical personnel are not obligated by Jewish moral values.”Responding to Reches’s statement, ZAKA Chairman Meshi-Zahav said, “The Jews brought morality to the world and no one will teach us what is moral.”ZAKA, a community emergency response organization whose teams are often among the first to a scene of a terror attack, responded to the directive with a resounding refusal. The organization, which is made up largely of religious Jewish volunteers, provides first aid and rescue services in cases of medical emergency.Meshi-Zahav said in his statement, “We direct ZAKA volunteers to first treat the Jewish victims of a terror attack – without blinking an eye. Only after they have been given medical assistance, should they begin treating the murderous terrorist who carried out the attack.”image: http://www.breakingisraelnews.com/wp-content/uploads/useful_banner_manager_banners/226-BIN-TempleMountPray-Calm-J-600WIDE.jpgThe medical ethical code, he added, does not encompass the treatment of terrorists. “In spite of the ethical code that says one should treat the most severely injured first, one should know that even morality has its boundaries,” he said. “If we do not make this distinction, we lose our direction.”Meshi-Zahav cited a Jewish teaching to support ZAKA’s decision, pointing out, “Even in Jewish law it says ‘He who is merciful to the cruel, will end up being cruel to the merciful’.”ZAKA is not the only opponent of this change. Israel Prize Laureate Professor Asa Kasher, who authored the IDF’s Code of Ethics and is one of the leading researchers in morality and ethics, voiced strong objection to the decision, calling it “absurd”.Kasher compared the difference between medical ethics in a hospital and at the scene of a terror attack to the difference between routine and battlefield medical ethics. In battlefield triage, he said, one “has to account for things beyond pure medical considerations”, and the situation is similar at the scene of a terror attack.“You can’t run it according to pure medical considerations – that’s just out of the question,” he said, according to Israel Hayom. “Say you have two people seriously wounded, the terrorist and a victim. The terrorist’s wounds are slightly more serious than the victim’s. Would you treat the terrorist before the victim? That’s unthinkable.”He continued, “There is more to the scene of a terrorist attack than pure medical considerations – as it should be. What are we supposed to tell a victim’s family if he dies because we treated the terrorist first? That we’re sorry but we had no choice but to treat the terrorist first? That’s absurd.”ZAKA’s Chief of Operations, Haim Weingarten, described a recent real-life situation in which he faced that very decision. He was present on the scene of Monday’s car-ramming attack in Jerusalem, in which 14 were injured. “The terrorist had been shot in his car,” he said in a radio interview. “Even though he had gun wounds to his head, he still showed signs of life. There was also a toddler in a stroller who had been run over by the terrorist, with a very serious wound to the leg. And you are asking me who I treated? The toddler.”He added, “In the case of any murderer, not just a terrorist, I would always first treat the victim and afterwards the murderer or terrorist.”Read more at http://www.breakingisraelnews.com/56499/zaka-chairman-we-will-first-treat-the-victims-before-treating-the-murderous-terrorist-jerusalem/#oVflTfTlw9smWlpi.99

An Orthodox woman prays at the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron. (Photo: Miriam Alster/Flash90)While segments of the Jewish community continue to struggle with the role of women in positions of religious leadership, Biblical prophecy promises that the status of women will be greatly enhanced at the End of Days.

The Struggle Over the Status of Women

The current struggle is best illustrated by a controversial resolution, recently passed by the Rabbinical Council of America, an organization of over 1,000 Orthodox rabbis from 14 different countries. The resolution states that its member rabbis may not “ordain women into the rabbinate, regardless of the title used,” nor may they, “hire, or ratify the hiring of, a woman into a rabbinic position at an Orthodox institution.”

This resolution expresses opposition to the significant gains Jewish women have made in scholarship and communal leadership in the past two decades.

Rav Dr. Meesh Hammer-Kossoy (Photo: Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies)Rav Dr. Meesh Hammer-Kossoy, faculty member at the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem and one of a new breed of female Jewish scholars, told Breaking Israel News, “In my mind, the rise of female leadership in the Orthodox world is an act of redemption, first and foremost, in that it connects more Jews to Torah and Jewish observance.”

“The voices of female scholars, be they Rabbis, Maharats, Yoatzot Halakhah, Rabbaniot [various titles used by female Jewish scholars] enable us as a people to more fully reveal all seventy faces of the Torah in a way that is truly accessible to all Jews,” she explained. “The empowering of female leadership is in no way meant to disempower men, but to expand and glorify Torah.“

Spiritual Mentor Reb Mimi Feigelson, who teaches Torah in Jerusalem and in Los Angeles, made a similar case. “The spiritual implications of Orthodox female rabbis is our return to what I believe to be God’s initial desire and vision in creating the world…Orthodox female rabbis are a step in the restoration of God’s primordial and Divine vision,” she told Breaking Israel News.

Both Hammer-Kossoy and Feigelson argue that women in positions of religious leadership represent an enhancement, not a diminishment, of religious life. In fact, their views have a basis in Biblical prophecy.

Judaism makes three important connections between women and redemption: that redemption will improve the status of women, that the final redemption will be credited to women and that the process of redemption is compared to childbirth.

Redemption Will Improve the Status of Women

There is a prophecy in the Book of Jeremiah that promises that the imminent final redemption will restore the power of feminine spiritual energy and will bring a major upgrade to the stature and dignity of women. The prophecy is found in Jeremiah 31:21:

“For the Lord has created something new on the earth, a woman shall go after a man.”

The last three Hebrew words of this verse are “nekeva tisovev gever”. These words have been variously translated as: the woman will encircle the man, the woman shall go after the man and/or the woman will court the man. In all cases, something new and positive will happen with the status of women at the time of the final redemption.

Chaim David Targan, a Jerusalem-based kabbalistic healer and mystic who works to help bring the redemption, explained that prophecy of “nekeva tisovev gever” does not mean a battle between the sexes.

“‘Nekeva tisovev gever’ does not mean that women will dominate men,” he told Breaking Israel News. “It means that the feminine energy, which has been repressed since Adam HaRishon (the Biblical Adam) will surface again as a full partner. This refers to both women specifically, but also to the feminine energy in men themselves.”

Eventually, explains Targan, the spiritual energy of women will be a crucial aspect in heralding in the ultimate redemption.

“Women have always been closer to Hashem’s (God’s) perfected will, but the more aggressive, dominant energy of the masculine has dominated history. Male energy is about doing. Female energy is more about being – which is a higher level,” he said to Breaking Israel News. “ In the pre-geula world (the time before redemption), our focus has been achievement – doing mitzvahs (God’s commandments) and building a better world.”

“In the times of Moshiach (Messiah), the focus, as we all know, is to know Hashem. This is more a state of being after the perfected action-oriented life of the pre-geula world. But there will still be plenty of differences between men and women, which Hashem wants us to celebrate and take to higher levels of joy than we have done so far.”

Targan published a message “Letter from Momma Rachel on the Geula (on her Yahrzeit),” on the recent anniversary of the death of Biblical Rachel, wife of Jacob. In this message, he elaborated on the coming changes.

“But men – don’t fear this new ‘order’. Embrace it cherish it as it will open up in each one of you an even higher G-dly spark than you knew you ever had. And as leadership goes, we all want those who are truly connected to Hashem. And Moshiach will be one who not only brings emunah (faith) and achdut (unity) to the world but who has perfected the balance of his male and female energies.”

Final Redemption Will Be Credited to Women

A second connection between women and redemption is found in the Talmud, the central text of Rabbinic Judaism. The Talmud states that, just as the Israelite slaves were redeemed from Egypt in the merit of the righteous women of the time, so too will the final redemption be credited to righteous women.

It was the women in Egypt who refused to give up on the idea of redemption. They were the ones who encouraged their husbands to continue having children. To the men, it seemed that any children born would face only a life of slavery and hardship, with no chance of redemption.

Women Make HistoryOrthodox Jewish women attend a “Mashgiach” course at the Faith Seminary College for Jewish Women’s Studies in Jerusalem. “Mashgiach” is a Jew who supervises the kashrut status of a kosher establishment, usually performed by a man. April 18, 2013. (Photo: Miriam Alster/FLASH90)In addition, the women’s songs of praise to God after the splitting of the sea was accompanied by tambourines. How did they get tambourines in the desert? Rabbinic sources credit the women of that generation with so much foresight and faith in the coming redemption that they packed tambourines before leaving Egypt.

“Miriam, the prophetess, Aaron’s sister, took a timbrel in her hand, and all the women came out after her with timbrels and with dances.” (Exodus 15:20)

There is a relevant teaching from Rabbi Isaac Luria Ashkenazi, more commonly known as the Holy Ari, the most famous mystical rabbi of the 16th century. He lived in the city of Tzfat, which is in the Galilee region of northern Israel.

The Holy Ari taught that the souls of the generation of the final redemption would be reincarnations of the souls of the people who lived through the exodus from Egypt. Just as the Jewish people were redeemed from Egypt in the merit of the faith of the women of that generation, so too the final redemption will come in the merit of the women of the generation before the messiah arrives.

Redemption Compared to Childbirth

The third connection between women and redemption is seen in the common expression “birth pangs of the Moshiach” in which redemption itself is compared to a woman’s labor.

“As a pregnant woman comes near to give birth, she shudders, she screams in her pangs, so were we because of You, O Lord.” (Isaiah 26:17)

Just as labor pains prepare a woman’s body for delivery, the “birth pangs of the Moshiach” are intended to prepare the Jewish people spiritually for the final redemption.

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According to Biblical prophecy, the arrival of the Messiah and the final redemption will permanently correct the imbalance between masculine and feminine spiritual energy that has existed since the time of Adam and Eve. As a result, at the End of Days, both men and women can expect to experience the spiritual gratification of being closer to God.